TX - Dr. Mark Hausknecht, 65, Physician to GHW Bush killed in bicycle drive-by shooting, Houston

[Gooddeeds]

Why do you feel that way? The victim was an acclaimed doctor with a broad professional life including:

- Employees at his practice whom he had direct hire / fire authority over.

- Employees at the hospital or medical contractors where a performance complaint by an acclaimed doctor and valued client might lead to a termination decision.

- Former patients and their families whose outcome was negative, despite the skills of doctor H.

- Professional rivalries (unlikely in my opinion). But, did Dr. H ever serve on some kind of review board that made recommendations regarding doctors of dubious competency? What about recommendations regarding residents and their continuance as doctors? Was Doctor H financially involved with other doctors? If so, did Doctor H ever have a dispute over say profit sharing or referrals?

I asked the same question.

 

[Inthedetails]

Thanks, been lurking after the Tristan news went silent. I know the bag looking “square” sounds silly and obvious lol. I meant it looks really solid like a box or container is in there.

I agree. There is something rigid in there or perhaps he's super meticulous about packing a backpack so it's compact rather than looking like a soft bundle hanging - but it has a definite shape. It's not how most backpack hang on someone.

jmo

 

[Deleted member 192280]

That bag probably had a container to put his clothes etc. Don’t you all think that bag looks awfully square?

In some of the pictures shown here, the backpack does not look so squarish and well supported as in the previously released picture, wonder if it's because of camera angle or there was any change of the bag contents:
Day 5: Still no lead as police search for bicyclist accused of killing Houston Methodist doctor

 

[Inthedetails]

In some of the pictures shown here, the backpack does not look so squarish and well supported as in the previously released picture, wonder if it's because of camera angle or there was any change of the bag contents:
Day 5: Still no lead as police search for bicyclist accused of killing Houston Methodist doctor

You're right. It looks rigid in the images at the start of the video news coverage, but later images of the backpack in the video don't look rigid. Strange.

jmo

 

[Deleted member 192280]

In some of the pictures shown here, the backpack does not look so squarish and well supported as in the previously released picture, wonder if it's because of camera angle or there was any change of the bag contents:
Day 5: Still no lead as police search for bicyclist accused of killing Houston Methodist doctor

The bag was rigid before the shooting, appeared not so rigid after the shooting ("getaway" ride)? What could that mean? He seemed to be wearing the same clothing.

 

[mooliz]

Not sure what the parking ordinances are on Southgate, but I think street parking is permitted. Some might park there and walk several blocks the Med Center to save on Med Center garages parking fees, which can add up if you are there for a long term patient. My point is that it may not be unusual to have a number of vehicles parked there without causing notice or concern. The getaway vehicle, if there was one and I think there definitely was, would not have to be parked there long, so may not have attracted any attention by the people who live or drive on that street, or the area patrol.

With the large buildings and offices within those buildings on the corner of Travis and Southgate, there might be a chance someone happened to be looking out a window at just the right time to have seen and noticed this suspect riding the bike on Southgate. But that would involve so much investigation, tracking down the people who were in those offices with windows facing that way. I have been to many medical appointments with family members in those buildings, and one of the first things I always do when we get into the exam room is to look outside to see what I can see from there. Probably quirky of me, but I like getting my bearings. Maybe others are like that, and maybe they saw something that morning but don’t realize it yet.

I thought it's likely by permit, then used Street View to double-check several of the Southgate streets within a few blocks of the Medical Center: No Parking--except by permit. Monday through Friday, 9-4 pm. The shooter was nearly to Travis street by 8:50 (per the time stamp on the HPD photo #4). Good chance he was parked in the neighborhood, and knew he wasn't risking being towed. Still, many houses would have security systems featuring surveillance cameras...

 

[glassheater]

I thought it's likely by permit, then used Street View to double-check several of the Southgate streets within a few blocks of the Medical Center: No Parking--except by permit. Monday through Friday, 9-4 pm. The shooter was nearly to Travis street by 8:50 (per the time stamp on the HPD photo #4). Good chance he was parked in the neighborhood, and knew he wasn't risking being towed. Still, many houses would have security systems featuring surveillance cameras...

Given how well planned this was, I wonder if he had scoped out the neighborhood before hand and parked in front a house where there was no camera, or at least visible camera.

 

[mooliz]

The bag was rigid before the shooting, appeared not so rigid after the shooting ("getaway" ride)? What could that mean? He seemed to be wearing the same clothing.

I think it had to be the camera angle. If the time stamps on the surveillance photos are correct, the photo taken of the crosswalk across Main at Holcombe was taken only 89 seconds before the "getaway" photo on Southgate. And those two points are about 1/4 mile apart. He didn't have time to mess with his bag, I don't think.

 

[mooliz]

Given how well planned this was, I wonder if he had scoped out the neighborhood before hand and parked in front a house where there was no camera, or at least visible camera.

I'm thinking the same thing. This seems to have been planned almost to the minute. Still, he'd surely have passed other houses with cameras. And I doubt he chose one of the streets closest to Travis--he'd have been at least seen, if not apprehended.

 

[glassheater]

So my working theory now looks like this:
- foreign faction
- well-to-do patient/family that could afford/had connections to seek treatment in the US from a renowned physician
- probably sought treatment under a false name
- had no qualms about eliminating MH for some affront
- had the means and connections to hire someone to do just that
- affront could be a bad outcome of the treatment or threat of exposing true identity of patient, especially if that patient is involved in criminal enterprises, i.e. drug cartel

All my hope that this will be solved in the public eye is fading fast.
Houston knows how to forget outrageous murders like this as evidenced by the case of Dr. Fred Conrad, Drector of Patient Care at esteemed MD ANDERSON Cancer Center in the Med Center. Dr. Conrad was shot 8 times and killed in his office at that hospital in 1982, and his killer has never been caught. There is not much online about that case. It’s as if it never happened. Something bigger than us and darker than night is at the root of that puzzling murder. This is starting to feel like that.

If the rumors I’ve been hearing are true, your theory would be spot on.

 

[clearskies1]

Given how well planned this was, I wonder if he had scoped out the neighborhood before hand and parked in front a house where there was no camera, or at least visible camera.

Maybe there was a second person involved -- a driver -- so no need to park.

 

[Deleted member 192280]

IMO LE should keep in mind that it's not impossible that the killer scoped the neighborhood and stalked the victim in previous days by driving a vehicle instead of riding a bike, so that his person was not visible to anyone/camera.

 

[Deleted member 192280]

From this update yesterday:

'On Thursday, however, Chief Art Acevedo offered a new detail that confirmed what some experts already suspected: Hausknecht's July 20th slaying was likely a targeted attack.

"It is highly probable he was targeted," Acevedo said in a text message Thursday morning.'

'"Murder usually comes down to two motives: some type of passion, or money," said Charles A. McClelland, Houston's police chief from 2009 to 2016. "That's it."'

The first quote of Acevedo sounds like they have more reason to believe it's targeted than before.

Notice McClelland mentioned only passion and money, but not workplace grievance which has been one major speculated motive by many.

Could it mean that LE now has got some idea about the likely motive?

 

[jjenny]

Workplace grievance would presumably fall under "some type of passion."

 

[Inthedetails]

IMO LE should keep in mind that it's not impossible that the killer scoped the neighborhood and stalked the victim in previous days by driving a vehicle instead of riding a bike, so that his person was not visible to anyone/camera.

I agree - I think he did the route at least once in a vehicle. But, I think there must have been practice runs on the bike too. He know the pace at which to follow the doctor, pass him, and be under the scaffolding to shoot him. That timing took some practice, imo.

I also think it's possible, as mentioned above, that someone in a vehicle assisted him - maybe even dropping him off when the doctor passed a certain point and then picking him up after the shooting.

Speculation, jmo at the moment.

 

[CocoChanel]

Workplace grievance would presumably fall under "some type of passion."

Workplace grievance could also involve money, no?

 

[CocoChanel]

In some of the pictures shown here, the backpack does not look so squarish and well supported as in the previously released picture, wonder if it's because of camera angle or there was any change of the bag contents:
Day 5: Still no lead as police search for bicyclist accused of killing Houston Methodist doctor

I had not seen this article yet. Thank you for the link. Also of note in this news item is an increase in reward money, and the statements that they have gotten very few leads. Either the suspect was incredibly lucky, or it IS a much darker scenario. I am increasingly fearful that this will not be solved in the way it deserves to be.

 

[tonygameboy]

Maybe the killer or someone in his family was denied medical services? I’m sure that’s already on the table. I really think he had a getaway vehicle nearby. If he planned it then he knows he would have to be out of sight quickly. Maybe there’s a police scanner in that backpack with a battery.

 

[CocoChanel]

Maybe the killer or someone in his family was denied medical services? I’m sure that’s already on the table. I really think he had a getaway vehicle nearby. If he planned it then he knows he would have to be out of sight quickly. Maybe there’s a police scanner in that backpack with a battery.

Welcome to WS and to this discussion tonygameboy.
Interesting idea that perhaps the suspect’s family member (or employer I might add) was denied medical services. Very intriguing to consider that the suspect might have had a police scanner in the backpack. Could you discuss that further? How easy is it to acquire a police scanner, and how would the suspect use that to his advantage?

I too speculated that there was a getaway vehicle involved. How else would the suspect have totally disappeared? I think he did not ride much further than a block or 2 on Southgate or more people would have seen him. He did not ditch the bike or anything else from what has been reported because those items would have been easily found.

 

[tonygameboy]

Welcome to WS and to this discussion tonygameboy.
Interesting idea that perhaps the suspect’s family member (or employer I might add) was denied medical services. Very intriguing to consider that the suspect might have had a police scanner in the backpack. Could you discuss that further? How easy is it to acquire a police scanner, and how would the suspect use that to his advantage?

I too speculated that there was a getaway vehicle involved. How else would the suspect have totally disappeared? I think he did not ride much further than a block or 2 on Southgate or more people would have seen him. He did not ditch the bike or anything else from what has been reported because those items would have been easily found.

By scanner I mean any scanner that reports police traffic and they are available to the public. Sure you can get scanner apps but then you have to rely on cell reception. I’ve never owned one but most grandmas had one they may be battery operated or plug in only not sure.