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

[Herat]

I just don't think he got on the bus in Atlanta.

I think he joined it at one of the less conspicuous facilities, possibly even just the last station before NYC. That and the NJ fake license.

 

[setyourselffree]

I'm not so sure. I think he could have on the black backpack, but without much stuff in it.

I think he does too. If you look closely at the video from West 85th, it looks like it's a near-empty black backpack on his back. Which means it's not likely the other one is shoved in there, but who knows. It's not close/clear enough to really see.

 

[Herat]

The shooting happened at 6:44. At an unknown time (minutes later), he’s spotted on a bike with that backpack. At 6:59, he’s spotted leaving the park without that backpack.

So within 15 minutes that backpack was gone.

Excellent timeline here:

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect's timeline before, during, after the brazen murder

The man charged with murder for gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was arrested and charged after the shooting outside a Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

abcnews.go.com

Or it was inside his black backpack that was passed off to an accomplice that went in a different direction.

 

[MassGuy]

I just don't think he got on the bus in Atlanta.

I think he joined it at one of the less conspicuous facilities, possibly even just the last station before NYC. That and the NJ fake license.

Someone posted that route up thread, and there were like 3 stops in North Carolina. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got in at one of those.

 

[whitelilac]

As for the gun, apparently it's easy and quick to disassemble it in pieces. Could he have disposed of the pieces separately in garbage heaps, the lake, wherever?
Though with the extensive searching, I'd think they would have found one piece . Dunno.

 

[indicolite22]

He checked in to the NYC hostel twice, with a few days in between when he stayed elsewhere. Why? Where did he stay/go?

 

[justtrish]

Maybe in the 10 days the murderer was here, he could have gone earlier to Central Park and pre-dug a hole in some inconspicuous place, then threw it in and covered it up very quickly during his escape?
It doesn’t seem likely to me but I suppose it is possible.

As to LE finding his cup and water bottle etc. in the alleyway, I am sure there are both cameras and garbage cans there. It’s a shortcut, and even though the cameras would show where he threw the garbage, LE would gather anything similar from wherever he threw it and sort it out then.

JMO

I'm not sure if he would dig a hole and cover it as that might be noticible both before and after the fact.

What I do think is if he was there 10 days prior, then he was going to these places and I hope LE is checking all the video from the previous 10 days to see if he was mapping out that day. I'm sure he went through central park several times to figure out places to put the bag and routes to take through the park. I don't see him being there that early and NOT doing a dry run to see how long it would take to go from A to B. I doubt he planned it all and then just figured it out as he went after the shooting. I wonder if he was looking for cameras and him and this possible accomplice knew where to not be seen together?

 

[MassGuy]

Or it was inside his black backpack that was passed off to an accomplice that went in a different direction.

I just think any accomplice would have been located by now. This person would have been the one informing him of BT’s movements, and then headed to the park to dispose of the evidence on the killer’s person.

I just don’t think this person exists. Cameras would have captured him.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

According to this article, the fake ID has been recovered -- this is the first I've heard that LE is in possession of the fake ID

Police Find Backpack in Central Park, a Possible Link to Gunman Who Killed C.E.O.

Three days after an insurance executive was fatally shot on a Manhattan sidewalk, the authorities provided a detailed timeline of the suspect’s movements. It was not yet known what was in the backpack.

www.nytimes.com

<snipped & BBM>
The authorities have released security-camera images of a smiling man wearing a hooded jacket, recovered a fake ID and cellphone, and collected a DNA sample they say is related to the case.

 

[Inthedetails]

I have the same question- how on earth, several hours later, in NYC, do you pull out that water bottle from the garbage with any level of certainty. Even if the arriving police officers were prescient enough to gather every garbage bag as soon as they arrived and sealed them up.

I'm guessing he is on video tossing out the water bottle and when LE retrieved the garbage, there wasn't another water bottle in it or not another bottle of the brand he purchased - or something as straightforward as that.

jmo

 

[Curiousobserver]

Someone mentioned above that the sighting coming out of the 57th street subway station is also strange, since that station only serves the F train, which doesn't go anywhere near where he supposedly was staying.

6:15 a.m.​

At 6:15 a.m., surveillance footage reviewed by police shows someone who appears to be the suspect leaving a 57th Street subway station near the crime scene, police sources told ABC News.

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect's timeline before, during, after the brazen murder

The man charged with murder for gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was arrested and charged after the shooting outside a Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

abcnews.go.com

 

[RobSA]

They haven't found the backpack, the gun, or the bike. And neither has any random NY'er

The gun can be thrown in a Central Park lake. The backpack can be put in a trash

Does anyone have a link to the exact last time and place where the shooter was filmed wearing the grey, Peak Design backpack? Has that been made public? It's reported that he was seen cycling into Central Park but did he still have the grey PD backpack on at that point?

I have only seen that one pic of him riding the bike with the grey backpack on his back after the shooting. I haven't seen anyone say where exactly that pic was taken. They do say it was before Central Park.

 

[Zinn]

This is really amazing police work right from the start. How many people visited that Starbucks in the 30 minutes or so? And they picked out his cup?

I would imagine a name was written on the coffee cup that matched the name on the timestamped receipt for his order. Or do they only do that for specialty drinks?

 

[Rush4087]

I’m sure LE is all over it, but I think tracing the gun would be one of the best ways to identify the shooter. It’s just not a very common gun.

From what I’ve read, the B&S Station Six-9 is made by B&S-USA, which I believe is located in Tampa. Not sure if they actually manufacture the guns there, or if the Tampa location is just their corp headquarters handling distribution and service for B&S-USA

I believe that manufacture of the version that preceded the Station Six - 9 (called the VP9) began in 2014, but I don’t think manufacture of the Station Six-9 began until end of 1st qtr 2021. How many could have possibly been manufactured and sold since then?

If the shooter purchased the gun in ATL (just one possibility), one of the largest gun stores in ATL is Adventure Outdoors. I don’t believe they sell online anymore, so I can’t tell if they currently carry the Station Six. There of course are many other gun stores near ATL that might carry (or have carried) the B&S Station Six -9

Also, it wouldn’t surprise me if the perp had a holster for the gun, which seems to be a bit ungainly given the suppressor. Apparently Palmetto Leatherworks makes a high quality holster for the Station Six -9 (I think a shoulder holster, but I’m not sure). It might require a subpoena, but if Palmetto Leatherworks keeps online purchase records, even if the gun was not purchased in ATL, a list of holster purchasers might provide a lead

All jmo

 

[penguinface]

I think he does too. If you look closely at the video from West 85th, it looks like it's a near-empty black backpack on his back. Which means it's not likely the other one is shoved in there, but who knows. It's not close/clear enough to really see.

If I flatten and fold/roll my large backpack, it easily fits inside my much smaller one, so I could see it being a possibility at least!

 

[Inthedetails]

According to this article, the fake ID has been recovered -- this is the first I've heard that LE is in possession of the fake ID

Police Find Backpack in Central Park, a Possible Link to Gunman Who Killed C.E.O.

Three days after an insurance executive was fatally shot on a Manhattan sidewalk, the authorities provided a detailed timeline of the suspect’s movements. It was not yet known what was in the backpack.

www.nytimes.com

<snipped & BBM>
The authorities have released security-camera images of a smiling man wearing a hooded jacket, recovered a fake ID and cellphone, and collected a DNA sample they say is related to the case.

I am thinking the assassin left the phone and fake id on purpose, to be found. Or, not found. I don't think he cares.

I know dumb criminals exist, but this one is brazen, imo, and is confident the phone and ID will not lead LE to him. My opinion.

jmo

 

[wibbleflea]

Why are people saying the backpack was unique? What was unique about it?

It's fairly uncommon. It's a backpack made by Peak Design – well made, expensive and designed for photographers but also for everyday carry. It looks like a 20L in a colour that Peak Design calls Ash. I have a Peak Design bag – it's great but, at least here in the UK, I rarely see them in use.

https://www.peakdesign.com/products/everyday-backpack?Size=20L&Color=Ash

 

[armchairagatha]

So they caught him on video after he exited Central Park? If so, why can’t they track where he went after that?

 

[setyourselffree]

I would imagine a name was written on the coffee cup that matched the name on the timestamped receipt for his order. Or do they only do that for specialty drinks?

I thought he only purchased a water and two energy bars? Or did it come out that he actually had a coffee?

 

[Sunshynn]

The shooting happened at 6:44. At an unknown time (minutes later), he’s spotted on a bike with that backpack. At 6:59, he’s spotted leaving the park without that backpack.

So within 15 minutes that backpack was gone.

Could this - among with many other reasons - why NYC was used as the place of the murder rather than Minnesota?
Easier to blend in.
BT wasn't as familiar with the place and was away from his home turf.
Many more places to hide things (i.e. the bookbag, murder weapon, etc.) and ease of get away transportation?