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

[MassGuy]

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

I imagine those prints were long gone by the time police arrived, unfortunately.

 

[wibbleflea]

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.

There’s no chance that the shooter doesn’t know about fingerprints and DNA. It’s possible that the phone drop was an accident but it seems improbable.

Most people would guess that this is an overconfident chancer whose carelessness will get him caught (if not immediately, then soon) or someone who doesn’t care if he’s caught.

But what if it’s someone who strongly feels that – despite the fingerprints, DNA, video footage and interactions with people – he is safe? Someone confident enough to write – by hand – on the shell casings?

If it’s the latter, what would allow him to feel that way, excluding insanity? Guaranteed safe passage to another country? Diplomatic immunity, perhaps via parents who are about to leave the US? Something else? Any ideas? This whole thing feels like a film plot.

 

[Arkay]

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.

I agree that his face is well-known to many people in his circle.
However, it could be that his circle is composed of other outlaws who have no intention of tipping the police to his identity.
Or his family members….same. Keeping it to themselves.

Just guessing.

 

[armchairagatha]

You mean he has been outed on social media? Anything to indicate that?

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

 

[justtrish]

For military or ex-military: are all military people in US fingerprinted when they go to Basic Training? Wondering because that database is probably being searched (if one exists).

Yes and DNA is kept on file, but I don't believe it can be used as a database to search for all servicemembers against DNA like this case. It is for IDing them if it's needed. I found this article detailing how they are trying to recover the remains from past wars and it's actually pretty fascinating stuff. The bottom part of the article notes that since 1991, they have taken a blood sample that is kept on file for all military and deployable contractors. There are 200,000 new samples added yearly and over 9 million currently on file.

Edited to add the link.

IDing the Fallen, Past & Present: Here's How DOD's Only DNA Lab Works

The Armed Forces DNA ID Lab is crucial to identifying missing service members. The lab does important work to help the DOD bring closure to families of the missing.

www.defense.gov

 

[eloquence]

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

JMO, I'd be surprised if they aren't working with the police - coming forward publicly is a very different story (especially given the victim blaming going on all over social media).

I'm not sure how much useful info they have at this point now that solid photos have been released, they looked VERY surprised and ran after the first shot

 

[CrimeDawg123]

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

There are ways to "work" from home when actually you're a thousand miles away. Never underestimate a tech guy.

 

[Vaderman]

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

I am skeptical of the handwritten bullets.

It was first reported there were three worded bullets. Then that number dropped down to two yesterday (I cannot find a concrete link for that; everyone's run with the original three words).

One of the words doesn't match the title of "the book". I think this is a an example of the telephone game gone awry. I want to hear concrete statements from LEO. Everything about this case is moving too quickly and sloppily for me to trust much beyond official statements.

 

[whitelilac]

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.

I don't think this guy would have gone back to Atlanta. Things are too hot there right now with the investigators crawling around there. Plus the general public is likely pretty well informed about this killing. Too iffy to go back there imo.
Better to blend in a so far unrelated city in the midwest or the west coast, or holed up in some back woods place.
IF he's still in the US.

 

[Inthedetails]

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.

It doesn't even take for him to have a social media presence - you'd think a former teacher would recognize him, neighbor, co-worker, fellow gym-goers, clerk at the grocery store, someone he met at a nightclub, employer, mom's friend, etc. But, as far as we know....nothing.

If he's local, I think it's NJ and I think he's a newcomer to USA...and I think he's out of the country by now or possibly hiding out in someone's basement in Newark.

jmo

 

[BUF]

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

I’d say scared. Someone was just murdered.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

It wouldn't surprise me if they do know who he is and are currently tracking him down. In the big scheme of things, a few days to identify and track a suspect is very quick.

One reason that I think that this was a single, targeted hit is that the police have not made any warnings to the general public that everyone or others are in danger (not that I have heard).

JMO.

Healthcare companies are taking extra precautions. More in the link.

Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City

The gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday.

www.kare11.com

 

[ElizaKate]

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

She more than likely has to LE (They're not appealing for that witness anymore). I wouldn't personally go to the media until he's caught (if at all).

 

[CrimeDawg123]

You mean he has been outed on social media? Anything to indicate that?

Sorry, he might have already been ID'd to the cops is what I meant.

 

[armchairagatha]

I don't think this guy would have gone back to Atlanta. Things are too hot there right now with the investigators crawling around there. Plus the general public is likely pretty well informed about this killing. Too iffy to go back there imo.
Better to blend in a so far unrelated city in the midwest or the west coast, or holed up in some back woods place.
IF he's still in the US.

He went there before he knew things were too hot for him there. If that is where he started his journey, he probably has a contact there that is an accomplice of sorts (or at least is aware of what he is upto and willing to provide him shelter). He needs a safe place to lay low for a while. Not a hostel or hotel with the whole country hot on his heels now and his photos on the front page.

 

[Vaderman]

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

Has but has been asked to keep quiet. JMO.

 

[MassGuy]

Updates from the NYT Blog:

-The police said they have a passenger list for the Greyhound bus, but the suspect did not need identification or a credit card to board.

-In a briefing with reporters, Joseph Kenny, the New York Police Department's chief of detectives, said the man they are seeking arrived in New York City on Nov. 24 by a bus that originated in Atlanta. When he arrived in New York, he went to the Hilton first, according to surveillance footage.

-After that, he went to the hostel on the Upper West Side. The suspect kept his mask on the entire time, even at meals, and used cash. Kenny said that the only time he lowered his mask was to talk to a clerk at the hostel and smile at her.

-Kenny, the head detective, said investigators still do not know precisely whom they are seeking. “We do not have his name,” he said. “At this point, we believe he acted alone.”

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

 

[Arkay]

It doesn't even take for him to have a social media presence - you'd think a former teacher would recognize him, neighbor, co-worker, fellow gym-goers, clerk at the grocery store, someone he met at a nightclub, employer, mom's friend, etc. But, as far as we know....nothing.

If he's local, I think it's NJ and I think he's a newcomer to USA...and I think he's out of the country by now or possibly hiding out in someone's basement in Newark.

jmo

Exactly.
I always scrutinize the photos when a crime in NYC is publicized.

I taught in Brooklyn NY for 25 years. We did have one kid, a Russian male, who years later was in the papers for a gruesome quadruple murder.

The police already had his identity, but otherwise I absolutely would have called it in. My colleagues would have done the same.

Either he’s not from here, or his crew is protecting him.

JMO

 

[penguinface]

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.

We already know of two very famous Americans who people are saying have remarkably similar faces to the shooter, so just imagine how many hundreds or thousands of non-famous people out there have a similar look. We have so few images to go on, all at angles and none of them very high resolution, that nobody is going to go naming a friend online for a huge crime without being absolutely certain that they’re 100% the guy.

 

[ChrisM]

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.

Agree, just doesn’t seem like someone who was mad because a loved one died because their claim was declined. They may be wanting LE and public to think that by markings on the bullets resembling that book but imho that is a smokescreen to take LE off the scent, whoever did this had knowledge of his movements that could only be provided by someone very close to BT

i suppose it's a good thing (for me) that i can't readily understand the thinking of a murderer (lol) but although i can agree with you that diversions make sense, i can't follow the logic of etching messages on shell casings as a diversion. perhaps this isn't such an unusual practice but i can't recall reading of messages on shells excepting ww2 bombs and similar things, so it seems an obscure way to divert. but i agree too, BT's movements must have been well understood to have orchestrated this clockwork plan so efficiently. there's obviously a lot of careful thought and purpose to the readoning behind this shooting and there appears to be many different possible motives.