NY - UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Midtown. #3

[JennieM]

NYPD using drones over Central Park in search for suspect's backpack - CBS​

The NYPD is flying drones over New York's Central Park while searching for the suspect's backpack, which he is believed to have disposed of in the park, a person familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

Images released by the police after the shooting in Manhattan showed the suspect wearing a distinctive grey backpack, which authorities are searching for.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told CNN "we're doing a full sweep of Central Park to find that backpack, which we believe he dropped in Central Park. We're using manpower, but we're also using our drones."

Central Park is 2.5 miles (4km) long and 0.5 miles (0.8km) wide, making it a sizeable area to search.

Live updates: Backpack found as NY health boss shooting suspect search expands to Georgia

NYPD says the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan was "a brazen, targeted attack".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[ElizaKate]

The bus station he left from really matters. If he was at the GW Bridge terminal he almost certainly wound up somewhere in Bergen County. If it was the Port Authtority he could have gone anywhere.

It does and CBS/BBC reporting he 'may have' got on a bus bound for Atlanta. This detail differs to others reporting alongside the actual terminal. The fact that Atlanta LE has come out with a statement saying they are assisting the investigation is a big flag though.

 

[whitelilac]

i can't imagine a "hitman" taking the time or the added evidential risk by writing the words (delay, deny) on his bullets, although these days it may be there's some consideration of "branding" for future jobs, lol. but seriously, these words nearly certainly convey a personal message; the idea that this person might be a professional seems unlikely.

Maybe this killer didn't etch those casings himself. For all we know, maybe the weapon and bullets were supplied by someone. I'm still wondering how he's been financing all this.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

I don't think it odd at all that a young guy would have nice clothes and backpack. Plenty of 20-somethings are flush with cash with good paying jobs and not yet having a lot of expenses (home/kids/etc). I'm going to guess he is a professional of some sort, just looks typical IT to me.

 

[whitelilac]

I don't think it odd at all that a young guy would have nice clothes and backpack. Plenty of 20-somethings are flush with cash with good paying jobs and not yet having a lot of expenses (home/kids/etc). I'm going to guess he is a professional of some sort, just looks typical IT to me.

I think if this guy has/had a job, he'd be outed by now. That face is recognizable.

 

[BUF]

Maybe this killer didn't etch those casings himself. For all we know, maybe the weapon and bullets were supplied by someone. I'm still wondering how he's been financing all this.

That’s exactly what I think…the weapon and bullets were supplied to him. I think he had help in NY. I think he is long gone.

 

[Inthedetails]

Maybe this killer didn't etch those casings himself. For all we know, maybe the weapon and bullets were supplied by someone. I'm still wondering how he's been financing all this.

Right. Someone might have supplied the ammo to him and/or told him to write the words.

I wish we could see the handwriting. Different countries have different styles of handwriting and I want to spend pages analyzing the Sharpie words.

jmo

 

[arielilane]

Someone (mastermind) instructed the shooter to kill BT. I dont believe the shooter wanted BT dead, did it only by design. Shooter is not a professional hit person. Shooter willing to kill.

He will be captured.
Will not be surprised if he attempts suicide.

Iirc, LE has his phone, which, may be difficult to break into it. FBI can help.

All is only an opinion

 

[armchairagatha]

Maybe he made his way back to Atlanta to whoever supplied him with the gun and has not yet left the country. That would explain why the investigation seems to have moved down to Atlanta. He would have needed to buy a plane ticket well in advance if he was flying out of the country after the murder, and if he didn’t make it in time or his cover was blown, he couldn’t fly. Worse, a missing passenger would have caught the attention of authorities and they would have known his final destination. So, I think even if he is a foreign assassin, he is still laying low within the USA waiting for a new fake id with a different look now that his pics are out. Hopefully they catch him soon.

 

[Inthedetails]

I don't think it odd at all that a young guy would have nice clothes and backpack. Plenty of 20-somethings are flush with cash with good paying jobs and not yet having a lot of expenses (home/kids/etc). I'm going to guess he is a professional of some sort, just looks typical IT to me.

IT person who has 10+ days to spare to spend in NYC?

Ten days is a long time.

jmo

 

[KaylynnCouture]

I think if this guy has/had a job, he'd be outed by now. That face is recognizable.

Agreed. I also think it’s very possible someone did call in who it was after they recognised him and LE just isn’t willing to release it yet. I’m sure they know he’s tracking the media coverage and they probably want him to think they’re 10 steps behind vs 1 step behind.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

I think if this guy has/had a job, he'd be outed by now. That face is recognizable.

Maybe he has but LE has not made it public yet.

 

[armchairagatha]

Maybe he has but LE has not made it public yet.

You are underestimating social media. He would have been outed by now on social media at least anonymously if he was a normal American guy.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

IT person who has 10+ days to spare to spend in NYC?

Ten days is a long time.

jmo

True. Holiday week he's not going to be missed, maybe even 2 weeks if he took some vacay. But yeah, now? Jig is up.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

You are underestimating social media. He would have been outed by now on social media at least anonymously if he was a normal American guy.

He might have been, we don't know. I think 100% he's American.

 

[Peppery]

he might’ve taken a week off work for Thanksgiving and might work primarily from home.

 

[eloquence]

It makes me wonder the reason that UHC is not offering a higher reward? I figure that it doesn't want to make one life look more important than another life...That being said, I have to think that most companies would offer some type of reward for the capture of an assassin who murdered one of its own.

JMO.

I have read that higher rewards = WAY more tips, and the police have already said they are sorting through a ton of tips. This case has been the front page of every paper for a few days now, the reward isn't needed to draw attention and they have pieced together a lot of his movements. Maybe they increase it in a week or two if needed?

This reminds me of the Idaho case (which they talked about doing but I don't think they ever ended up offering a reward on?) where the smaller details that take time got him - connecting CCTV dots, getting DNA, cell phone pings, figuring out where the murder weapon was purchased. I think it'll be the same here.

 

[Warwick7]

It's weird.

The planning here was incredibly detailed, and I think this guy is going to turn out to be quite intelligent.

But the fact that he carried out this crime, in this place, in this way, is insane. Even if he was perfect, which he absolutely was not, he had no reasonable chance of getting away with this; not with all those cameras.

He did everything in his power to cover his tracks, but slipped up with the mask, that Starbucks stop, and dropping his phone.

I give him credit for how long this has gone on, which is a testament to that extensive planning. But it's only a matter of time before he is captured, and when that happens, they'll have him dead to rights.

And....as for fingerprints on what they found, there is always the fingerprints where he was touching the counter while flirting with that gal.

 

[eloquence]

NYPD using drones over Central Park in search for suspect's backpack - CBS​

The NYPD is flying drones over New York's Central Park while searching for the suspect's backpack, which he is believed to have disposed of in the park, a person familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

Images released by the police after the shooting in Manhattan showed the suspect wearing a distinctive grey backpack, which authorities are searching for.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told CNN "we're doing a full sweep of Central Park to find that backpack, which we believe he dropped in Central Park. We're using manpower, but we're also using our drones."

Central Park is 2.5 miles (4km) long and 0.5 miles (0.8km) wide, making it a sizeable area to search.

Live updates: Backpack found as NY health boss shooting suspect search expands to Georgia

NYPD says the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan was "a brazen, targeted attack".

www.bbc.co.uk

There is so much water in Central Park and it's been warm so not frozen. My personal theory is it's at the bottom of one of those ponds/lakes in CP.

 

[arielilane]

Curious why the witness at the crime scene shooting hasn't come forward? Shock? jmo