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

[jennytrevor]

Interesting. Do the CEOs actually get involved in denials? I used to work for physicians at a level 1 trauma center and we had to get peer to peer reviews all the time. I have never had one go to the CEO. It was always MDs doing the reviews and talking to the treating physicians. They were the step above the nurses who did the second denial after it was denied by the lay people working for the insurance. We always had the different company policies for every procedure on hand prior to trying to get things approved. It was a lot of time and work in many cases. But i never had any go to the CEO who isn’t usually medically trained. Many of the denial policies have been in place for a very long time. They never take into consideration that every patient is different and medicine isn’t exact and can vary by patient. They have checklists they follow and do not deviate.

I’m sure CEOs, if they cared to do so, could exert some influence over denial policies.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

Is the FBI involved? He's presumably out of the state now.

New clues emerge as investigators hunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO

The gunman who stalked and killed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in Manhattan used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose."

apnews.com

<snipped & BBM>
Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, the official said.

 

[Herat]

He was out of the city before the NYPD presser. I do wonder if he had his ticket already purchased and ready to go or did he jump on the first bus leaving NYC that morning? Shouldn't be difficult to research the routes and passengers. This is good news to know. JMO

You would think there would be someone on the bus from about that time that would be able to say they noticed a guy like that.

 

[comegetburnt]

not hugely relevant but appears NYT removed the reference to him exiting the park at 60th street from their reporting, and updated to him exiting at 77th street. which is consistent with prior reporting.

 

[JennieM]

But, was the video not just before he went to Starbucks? Leaving very little time for a total change. I believe that LE are mistaken. The person in the picture has a different backpack (that doesn’t look big enough to contain the other backpack the suspect was pictured with plus a change of clothing) and is clearly wearing shorts.

ETA up thread there is a post to a link to the backpack. It is really structured and not saggy. The subway exit pic shows that backpack as saggy or unstructured and as someone else pointed out, the straps are incorrect.

I think the photographs with his face showing are from the hostel reception area.

The photographs of his face with the mask on are from Starbucks.

 

[wibbleflea]

So surely they have found and interviewed that cabbie.

If the person shown unmasked in the stills from the hostel is the shooter, he has talked to the hostel receptionist, possibly room-mates, someone at Starbucks, someone who sold him a ticket for a Greyhound bus and a cab driver. If the police can track back to the 24th, there should be plenty of others. Doesn't seem short of money – the $6k+ gun, the expensive shoes, the $300 backpack – and he ate and drank during the many days in he spent in NYC. There must be interactions and detectives must know something now about his voice, his accent, his demeanour. That's assuming the POI and the shooter are one and the same.

 

[MassGuy]

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

A dozen officers were searching for the gunman’s backpack near the intersection of 65th Street and Center Drive in Central Park on Friday afternoon. Tourists and park visitors passed by as officers searched trash cans, grates, storm drains and leaf piles near the beach volleyball courts and visitor centers. The officers worked with park employees to inspect locked storage containers.

 

[TheUnderlyingCause]

Agree with everything you said. Also the part I cannot get past is that the shooter knew exactly when and where to stand to cross paths with BT in the wee hours of the morning, when he was staying a hotel other than the one the the conference was held at, 1.5 hours before the conference started. He was so confident of the timing and correct location that he even popped into Starbucks for a snack 30 min prior! If he didn't know what BT's exact agenda was that day he would have been camped out for much longer.

BT probably took the Corporate jet to NYC that week and when he landed he would have a driver to take him to his hotel. It would be impossible for a young kid on an Ebike to follow this movement. The private airports are secured. How did the shooter know he was staying at the Marriott? And that he would walk to the conference 1.5 hours before it started?

So, I think there are two options here:
1 - Shooter had electronic access to BT's phone and location - maybe through the previous cyber attack (IMO unlikely)
2 - Shooter was in communication with another person that was telling him exactly where BT was staying and what his schedule was for the day, and what his path to the conference would be.

You ask one of the most important questions...how did the shooter know the salient facts you mention? There is at least one other option, although I don't think it is very likely, and that is that the shooter had direct contact with BT (i.e. not through another person). I will leave that to the side for the moment. I lean toward option 2. Shooter's accomplice was in direct communication with BT (may even have been with him the previous evening); learned his plan in enough detail through casual leading questions; communicated those details to the shooter; was in the hotel that morning monitoring BT's actual movements and communicated those facts to the shooter.

 

[TTF14]

I assumed it was always due to his power of position. I do know that when my husband worked at headquarters in their NY facility, there was a locked, bullet proof door protecting the executives from the other workers, just in case a worker became enraged (I guess) and decided to storm into the executive offices with a gun.

JMO.

Oh wow.

Extreme wealth creates all sorts of danger!

 

[Herat]

I’m sure CEOs, if they cared to do so, could exert some influence over denial policies.

Oh, he is way, way ,way higher than that level.

They pay people to be the ultimate arbiters of a claims and denials. That is nowhere near what Thompson would be doing.

He's involved in finance and strategic planning. What to do with the money they are bringing in.

 

[daybreaking]

Agreed about this possibly being about revenge or money.
Both seem logical and also might not both be a motive ?
Wondering if the perp was paid !

Certainly not just a random hit (although that has happened in the past) -- as I doubt very much that the shooter just happened to know when Brian would be walking that way ?
Omo.

The bag's been formally identified as a rather pricey bag, and purportedly the shooter was also wearing very pricey designer sneakers.

To me, that points towards the shooter being part of the same social circle as the CEO. It would also explain the "professionalism" with the gun, (financial ability to train regularly, and possibly involved with shooting as a sport), yet taking risks that someone with "street smarts" would avoid.

 

[Herat]

You ask one of the most important questions...how did the shooter know the salient facts you mention? There is at least one other option, although I don't think it is very likely, and that is that the shooter had direct contact with BT (i.e. not through another person). I will leave that to the side for the moment. I lean toward option 2. Shooter's accomplice was in direct communication with BT (may even have been with him the previous evening); learned his plan in enough detail through casual leading questions; communicated those details to the shooter; was in the hotel that morning monitoring BT's actual movements and communicated those facts to the shooter.

I would sure be checking the hotel staff that had recently been hired and everyone, everyone that was there that morning. Everyone, including restaurant staff, housekeeping staff, janitorial staff and finding out who they felt was newest on the job.

Including the drivers of the cars that were waiting outside. That would be a perfect cover for an accomplice.

 

[eddie_van]

The bag's been formally identified as a rather pricey bag, and purportedly the shooter was also wearing very pricey designer sneakers.

To me, that points towards the shooter being part of the same social circle as the CEO. It would also explain the "professionalism" with the gun, (financial ability to train regularly, and possibly involved with shooting as a sport), yet taking risks that someone with "street smarts" would avoid.

Buying a few expensive clothing items doesn't mean you're a multi-millionaire.

 

[Dotta]

"The WW2 era gun ​

that UnitedHealthcare killer used to assassinate CEO Brian Thompson.​

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
may have been assassinated with a Brugger & Thomet VP9, a WW2-era inspired firearm."

The WW2 era gun that killer used to assassinate Brian Thompson

Police sources believe the murder weapon could be an World War Two inspired Brugger & Thomet VP9 pistol.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"Mystery over Brian Thompson killer deepens ​

as manhunt zig-zags across the country while Americans demand a name."​

Hunt for UnitedHealthcare gunman zig-zags across US

Brian Thompson's killer has managed to evade police capture despite carrying out his attack in one of the busiest and most surveilled cities in the world.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[soap mama]

getting into a cab is a good thing, right? because they can probably see the cab number from the video and then talk to the cab driver?
jmo

Do cabs still take cash payment?

 

[Inthedetails]

Do cabs still take cash payment?

Yes

 

[Nikynoo]

The bag's been formally identified as a rather pricey bag, and purportedly the shooter was also wearing very pricey designer sneakers.

To me, that points towards the shooter being part of the same social circle as the CEO. It would also explain the "professionalism" with the gun, (financial ability to train regularly, and possibly involved with shooting as a sport), yet taking risks that someone with "street smarts" would avoid.

There was a previous post with a link to the trainers. Looks like they were $65 max. That’s cheap for Nike. I agree though that the suspect has middle class taste. Interesting that the backpack was discontinued in 2019

 

[KaylynnCouture]

Why did he check out and back into the hostel? That part is odd to me. Almost like he got Brian’s schedule wrong/then realized he’d need to stay an extra few days?

 

[BUF]

Is the FBI involved? He's presumably out of the state now.

Good question, FBI needs to be involved now.

 

[Drella]

Do cabs still take cash payment?

yes