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

[Kittybunny]

Thanks. The media doesn’t help because they will just use salacious framing like “he made $5M a year!” The reality of executive comp is if course he makes way more than the rest of us, but a much smaller percentage shows up as cash in his actual paycheck. The bulk is tied to future performance, sometimes many years out. If he gets fired for cause along the way - an insider trading scandal would do it - that can go away. My understanding is that she has a “normal” job so her lifestyle is largely tied to his continued success. She’s only 50 and the boys are young. Couldn’t the threat of losing that lifestyle be a motivator? Again, just a little speculation over coffee. As wild as this story is it’s still a murder and the odds are he knew the person who wanted him dead. Who knows him better than the mother of his kids?

Since I am also enjoying my morning coffee, I’ll join you and add that extra motive could be a pending divorce. Maybe BT has been seeing someone and a mutually beneficial prolonged separation is no longer beneficial for BT - he wants to move on, get remarried. And while certainly the wife would be well taken care of, she would not be entitled to the much larger payout that would be expected should she remain married to him.

 

[Jamara3]

With all of the evidence left behind and the resources of the NYPD: caught on camera multiple times including at a corporate chain, at least 3 witnesses directly at scene (woman outside, two cars idling), used a phone near the scene, left a phone behind at the scene, left a water bottle with a smudged print, left behind casings, tracked down where he stayed (fake id) and travel to NYC (greyhound). It’s surprising to me that they still haven’t identified him yet. I do wonder if much of the evidence left behind was a red herring to throw them off track.
Some of the new information does make this sound more professional or at least organized in some manner. I’ve had an even crazier thought that maybe there were multiple individuals in the area that day dressed the exact same to obscure movements and identity.

 

[alsleuther]

It absolutely could have been. Also, all the current assets may not be liquid, they may be in a trust… and she may have been unable to have free access.
There is also the impending DOJ investigation for insider trading to be dealt with— he and two executives sold $101million in stock 2 weeks before antitrust litigation was to begin… who knows how much that would have dented his net worth.

This angle has to be considered, for sure.

Yes, we know that both BT and the wife both had trusts, as property records show that those two trusts owned the two properties that they lived in.

Yes, that DOJ investigation started a while ago. One of the other parties was in trouble for a much larger amount than $15M. Perhaps someone was worried about BT talking?

And yes, if BT was found guilty of insider trading it would greatly affect his net worth. He'd lose all his professional licenses, lose his job, lose his future earning potential and maybe even go to prison.

I do wonder what his life insurance policy payout is?

 

[nao]

Moo.. I guess that book will get a few extra buyers.

 

[Tealgrove]

The alternative is that maybe he was an ideologue?

I find it extremely hard to believe that any professional would take the risk of doing this in midtown manhattan.

And anyone high profiled enough to afford this wouldn’t hire anyone to do this in midtown. Again, too much risk and puts your freedom on the line.

This could have been done in Minnesota at a traffic light.

MOO

Exactly

 

[Kittybunny]

Stretching a little here because the range of motives is so wide, but if you’re looking at his wife the insider trading thing is actually a pretty big deal. They are separated but seem to have a good partnership going: she gets to live a pretty affluent lifestyle and her kids are set up because the victim was a well-paid exec. But if he turned out to be a crook, poof goes the career along with all of his long-term comp (there’s probably a morality clause in his employment agreement). Wave goodbye to the ill-gotten gains, too. We are talking an eight-figure impact! A tragic murder might solve for a lot of those potential problems (not to mention he certainly had a big life insurance policy). MOO.

Ooooh! I just had a crazy idea! What if BT hired his own killer?!? Wants to preserve his legacy, maintain his wealth for his family, knows he’s going down. Could explain the no security, bright blue jacket, impeccable timing, well-funded assassin who had plenty of time to plan this out.

And no, not sure I believe this one either, but this case is driving me nuts, clearly, haha.

 

[Inthedetails]

It’s clinical. Very assassination-like. No interest in seeing the victim’s face during the killing. I would have thought he could have gotten up even closer - as far as assassinations go - but then his victim was walking with a determined stride.

I wonder how he could be sure nobody would be close by, though. That seems a bit lucky.

There was a bystander within feet of the shooting! She ran away after the first shot. Looks like she was someone having a coffee or cig break. Anyone driving along the street was a potential witness or hinderance.

The shooter did not care, did not flinch.

This is not just "some angry guy." No way. He was prepared and had enough experience to tune out distractions and enough confidence that he could pull it off and literally walk away.

jmopinion

 

[Caveman16]

I can understand how he travel by Greyhound bus and then go stay in a hostel and wouldn't have a gun initially but someone please explain to me, of all the guns around there are to buy, why would he choose that looney gun to be the one he purchased?

It's my understanding the handgun is believed to be a Brugger &Thomet VP9 a modernized version of a WW2 handgun with silenser/suppressor. Its design as I understand it, the slide locks back after pulling the trigger like a slide-lock device. The gas and noise escape through the suppressor instead of through the ejection port, thereby making the shot quieter than with a suppressor alone. The shooter would then have to release the slide lock to chamber and fire another round. There is a YouTube video that shows the shooter firing 2 shots by using his left hand to release the slide after the first shot. It appears that after the second shot the gun jammed and he cleared it in the usual manner to fire a third shot. I am not a gunsmith or ballistics expert. It's just from what I have read about the gun.

 

[Luna20]

The single busiest airport on planet earth. Or was as of last year.

It is. It’s like being on the ground in a major city. There are trams running nonstop to get to and from gates that are far away.

This diagram doesn’t show the intricacies but it’s an overall map.

 

[alsleuther]

Ooooh! I just had a crazy idea! What if BT hired his own killer?!? Wants to preserve his legacy, maintain his wealth for his family, knows he’s going down. Could explain the no security, bright blue jacket, impeccable timing, well-funded assassin who had plenty of time to plan this out.

And no, not sure I believe this one either, but this case is driving me nuts, clearly, haha.

Interesting!

Not exactly the same, but people are crazy! Did you ever follow the story about the wealthy Golden Flake heir? He created this elaborate scene to look like he was abducted and murdered and it all turned out that he killed himself!

Lawyer Staged His Suicide to Look Like a Murder, Say Police | Law.com

Days after Major Bashinsky disappeared from his law office, a letter turned up in his car accusing his family of mistreating workers at the snack food company it founded. When his body was found in a pond at an Alabama golf course, it had all the markings of a slaying: He had been shot in the...

www.law.com

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

I have a hypothesis and explained it in my post (# 826). It’s actually a veterinary weapon used to put down sick and wounded animals.

Makes a weird kind of sense if you’re murdering the CEO of a widely despised health insurance company, especially if you’re the type to write on the bullets “deny” and “depose” so you can send a message.
I know, it makes for good fiction… but it’s my theory and I’m holding to it for now. MOO

It is a firearm and has no special qualities that make it more more appropriate or more humane to use for sick and wounded animals, except for when the animal to be killed is around other animals that will react to noise. Frankly, it's when slaughtering that animal upset from the noise is the concern. Those of us that have to routinely euthanize animals in the field, are rarely concerned with the noise factor, and we certainly don't wait around for or pay for a vet to come with a bill and an expensive gun.
Calling it a veterinary tool is the advertiser's answer to "Why are you manufactoring a firearm with a "built in silencer?"
There are usually other ways to euthanize an animal when a vet is involved.

From this webpage:
The VP9 was marketed by Brugger & Thomet as a humane animal killer for agricultural, hunting or veterinary use: the pistol is particularly intended to be used in euthanizing large animals where administering a lethal injection would be potentially dangerous.

https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/veterinary-pistol-bt-vp9-model-2117761

 

[citizen_sleuth]

UnitedHealthcare CEO murder latest: NYPD believes suspected shooter left NYC on bus | abc7ny.com

The%20suspected%20killer%20of%20United%20Healthcare%20CEO%20Brian%20Thompson%20entered%20and%20left%20New%20York%20City%20by%20bus%2C%20law%20enforcement%20sources%20told%20ABC%20News.

abc7ny.com

<snipped & BBM>
The suspected killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson entered New York City by bus November 24, when a surveillance camera at Port Authority Bus Terminal caught his arrival at 9:00 p.m., law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Police are investigating whether the suspect also left the city by bus the day of the shooting December 4.

[…]

Police have collected a lot of video of the suspect all over the city - in the subway, in cabs, in a McDonald's. Each place he paid with cash and he made sure to keep his mask on, which indicate to detectives he knew he was coming to the city to commit the murder.

 

[setyourselffree]

There was a bystander within feet of the shooting! She ran away after the first shot. Looks like she was someone having a coffee or cig break. Anyone driving along the street was a potential witness or hinderance.

The shooter did not care, did not flinch.

This is not just "some angry guy." No way. He was prepared and had enough experience to tune out distractions and enough confidence that he could pull it off and literally walk away.

jmopinion

It’s almost like he scripted all of it exactly this way just to produce so many theories.

Surprised that the ‘disgruntled employee’ theory hasn’t gotten more traction. I mean… sure, he’s young and I would imagine that a typical employee who’s angry at the CEO may be more tenured. But also, he was privy to some pretty private information that an insider may be able to find access to. Or maybe he just got lucky that BT walked by sooner than planned? Maybe the shooter planned to stay in that spot for an hour or so? Maybe him letting BT walk past him was less strategic and more ‘oh crap, there he is, time to get my gun out!”

Either way, I could see a young man get jaded by his line of work after seeing how people are denied claims and developing some severe animosity toward the CEO. That could also explain the writings on the casings, rather than a victim of UHC denials.

EDIT: Also, hiring a hitman RARELY ends well. Usually gets outed to the police. Unless what they say about the dark web is true.

 

[bestill]

There was a bystander within feet of the shooting! She ran away after the first shot. Looks like she was someone having a coffee or cig break. Anyone driving along the street was a potential witness or hinderance.

The shooter did not care, did not flinch.

This is not just "some angry guy." No way. He was prepared and had enough experience to tune out distractions and enough confidence that he could pull it off and literally walk away.

jmopinion

He also had one target in mind. He didn't care about the witnesses. He didn't even turn towards the woman as she ran away. If he were concerned about being recognized I believe he would have at least reacted to her running away. All JMO

 

[MassGuy]

UnitedHealthcare CEO murder latest: NYPD believes suspected shooter left NYC on bus | abc7ny.com

The%20suspected%20killer%20of%20United%20Healthcare%20CEO%20Brian%20Thompson%20entered%20and%20left%20New%20York%20City%20by%20bus%2C%20law%20enforcement%20sources%20told%20ABC%20News.

abc7ny.com

<snipped & BBM>
The suspected killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson entered New York City by bus November 24, when a surveillance camera at Port Authority Bus Terminal caught his arrival at 9:00 p.m., law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Police are investigating whether the suspect also left the city by bus the day of the shooting December 4.

[…]

Police have collected a lot of video of the suspect all over the city - in the subway, in cabs, in a McDonald's. Each place he paid with cash and he made sure to keep his mask on, which indicate to detectives he knew he was coming to the city to commit the murder.

It obviously makes sense that he left the same way he arrived. Hopefully he dropped his guard before he arrived in the city, or as he was returning home.

 

[Inthedetails]

UnitedHealthcare CEO murder latest: NYPD believes suspected shooter left NYC on bus | abc7ny.com

The%20suspected%20killer%20of%20United%20Healthcare%20CEO%20Brian%20Thompson%20entered%20and%20left%20New%20York%20City%20by%20bus%2C%20law%20enforcement%20sources%20told%20ABC%20News.

abc7ny.com

<snipped & BBM>
The suspected killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson entered New York City by bus November 24, when a surveillance camera at Port Authority Bus Terminal caught his arrival at 9:00 p.m., law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Police are investigating whether the suspect also left the city by bus the day of the shooting December 4.

[…]

Police have collected a lot of video of the suspect all over the city - in the subway, in cabs, in a McDonald's. Each place he paid with cash and he made sure to keep his mask on, which indicate to detectives he knew he was coming to the city to commit the murder.

Hmmm... curious about the cab ride(s). My first thought is that he wouldn't take a cab except to a place the subways don't conveniently go. Just a thought, not tied to it.

jmo

eta: and/or had stuff to carry that would be cumbersome on the subway. idk

 

[Charlot123]

I'll respectfully point out that plenty of people who live in this part of the country who are in fact citizens or residents with state ID but were born elsewhere. By that I mean, if he's a foreigner with an accent, he could still have American/local ID and it would not raise an eyebrow at all.

I would like to hear if anyone noticed an accent though. And, if he's actually from down south, that accent stands out too!

jmo

1) not sure that he is from down south or maybe he is, but moved

2) the hostel attendant might have been a nonlocal herself. Moved from Mexico, or somewhere else, got local… but she may be less mindful of the accents, especially differences in local US accents. She is a New Yorker and can be from anywhere.

3) this is the beauty of being a New Yorker. It is not, like in Delphi murder, “the BG speaks like 90% of men in Indiana do”. Or even, god forbid, an old lady in a Bostonian restaurant asking my kid, “and where is your accent from?” (His accent was born and bred in Seattle, and her Bostonian ear picked it up.) But young local people in NY can be from any nonlocal family and not that aware of accents. I assume the killer’s one is “American enough”.

4) has anyone considered the possibility of the young man being adopted? From another country and very young? That can explain his DNA being nowhere, him looking and speaking “American” but essentially, police having a difficulty matching the DNA because even if there is a diaspora from his country, they are not into it or even our big commercial DNA companies don’t accept from some countries.

Someone said he looked Russian Jewish - adoption would automatically rule this group out because they always find matches. But, a kid adopted from post-Soviet Georgia or Moldova or whatnot… maybe abandoned by Russian gypsies. Absolutely no way to find any matches IMHO. And perhaps one of his adoptive parents died due to denial by UH.

 

[Elley Mae]

Cops looking into Brian Thompson's murder will be looking at the UnitedHealthcare CEO's inner circle in Minnesota as they hunt for his killer, according to retired FBI Agent Scott Duffey.

New footage of 'assassin' offers hint as cops hunt for CEO's killer

The search for Brian Thompson has entered its third day, as the NYPD continues to hunt for a mystery man who executed the UnitedHealthCare CEO.

www.dailymail.co.uk

In legal documents, the fund said Thompson and other company execs sold over $117 million worth of UnitedHealth common stock during the four-month period when insiders knew about the federal antitrust investigation but the public did not.

 

[JDG]

Checking closer to home.

Will today be a BIG news day in this case?

 

[snarast]

There was a bystander within feet of the shooting! She ran away after the first shot. Looks like she was someone having a coffee or cig break. Anyone driving along the street was a potential witness or hinderance.

The shooter did not care, did not flinch.

This is not just "some angry guy." No way. He was prepared and had enough experience to tune out distractions and enough confidence that he could pull it off and literally walk away.

jmopinion

Ok - this seems a bit like Breivik in Norway somehow. Robotic. Relaxed. Almost Playful.

If so, Thompson wont be the only victim, so hopefully that’s not the case.

IMHO