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

[RobSA]

IMO I would be shocked if he waited for the bus to Philly or Boston, he was probably at the bus station by 8am at the latest — I just don’t see him loitering in the bus station (which IIRC has a police station/booth inside it) for 2+ hours. MOO but I think he got on a bus to NJ and then started navigating to wherever he is now.

I totally agree. He took a bike to get away to a different part of the city. He took a cab to get further away from there. Makes sense he took bus to Jersey to get out of the city and then a bus from there.

 

[Herat]

This is pretty strong, I think they know it’s his.

Backpack found in Central Park believed to belong to suspect, source says​

From CNN's John Miller
NYPD investigators found a backpack in Central Park that they believe belonged to the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a law enforcement official told CNN.

Investigators have yet to officially confirm the origin of the bag and are taking it to be forensically tested in a lab in Queens, the source said.

An NYPD spokesperson confirmed to CNN that a backpack was found in the park but said it “still has to be processed.”

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/brian-thompson-unitedhealthcare-news-12-6-24/index.html

It's a distinctive backpack with that tan handle the carabiner clip on the lid and the shape. Not a run of the mill black backpack like the one he had at the hostel.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1865179053168222311

It will be very interesting to see what, if anything, was in the backpack that can be used to ID the suspect. MOO but based on the level of planning that seems like went into this, I highly doubt he even brought anything that could be used to directly identify him with him to the city (i.e., real driver’s license, credit/debit card, etc), let alone abandoned it in the backpack he likely knew LE would be looking for. I do, however, think that there could be something in the backpack which might indirectly link back to the suspect (maybe a relatively distinctive piece of clothing, a notebook with his handwriting, or ticket stubs/receipts).

 

[K.jill]

There is no way an angry customer or disgruntled employee had access to his calendar. Whomever wanted this guy dead had inside info to know all that.

I am beginning to think that the accomplice or the person who hired him are very intimately involved with his schedule and security details. I don’t mean his wife, but someone in the company who has access to his schedule and information.

 

[armchairagatha]

Yes. And I think because it's such a rare type of murder, and an attack on the system, if you will, they're going to solve it relatively quickly. Or die trying.

Color me cynical but I don’t think this was an ideological murder. I will be very surprised if (a large amount of) money wasn’t the main motive. This guy was insanely rich and was also embroiled in an insider selling case where he could turn informer. Bet he had plenty of people who wanted him out of the way for money reasons.

 

[Stargazer90]

I firmly believe this is a revenge murder. The suspect is young, I’m thinking he has a close family member who lost their life due to denial of medical care. He is deeply hurt emotionally and angry over their death.

Working in HC, I’ve seen the emotional side when an insurance says NO. It’s devastating. We’ve all seen the crowd source funding for kids in desperate, life threatening need of unapproved care. It’s changes a person.

All my opinion …

The itineraries / calendars of corporate CEOs are not available to the public. There is no way some rando would know Brian Thompson would be at an investor's conference on 12/04 at the Hilton in NYC. He had inside information.

 

[Big Ears]

New York City police say they have found a backpack carried by the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Investigators found a backpack in Central Park that was carried by the shooter, police said Friday, following a massive sweep to find it in a vast area with lakes and ponds, meadows, playgrounds and a densely wooded section called “The Ramble.” AP News. Police believe the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO quickly left NYC on a bus after shooting

 

[MassGuy]

It will be very interesting to see what, if anything, was in the backpack that can be used to ID the suspect. MOO but based on the level of planning that seems like went into this, I highly doubt he even brought anything that could be used to directly identify him with him to the city (i.e., real driver’s license, credit/debit card, etc), let alone abandoned it in the backpack he likely knew LE would be looking for. I do, however, think that there could be something in the backpack which might indirectly link back to the suspect (maybe a relatively distinctive piece of clothing, a notebook with his handwriting, or ticket stubs/receipts).

They're almost guaranteed to find more DNA evidence, which will be the nail in his coffin when he is captured. A fingerprint would be ideal, as they'd have a much better chance of connecting that to him right away.

I think there's a decent chance things went to hell shortly after he pulled the trigger. He may have had some sort of emotional reaction to this; something that he didn't expect.

It would explain the sloppiness of dropping his cell phone and water bottle, which would also lend itself to very incriminating things being in that bag. Maybe he didn't do what he planned on doing (making sure that bag was properly disposed of).

 

[flowershop]

I wonder if he will try to travel by small plane? Maybe depends on connections he or, if he was hired, his employer has. I would think commercial airlines would be risky for him, probably Greyhound & Amtrack at this point... Jmo.

Those modes of transportation make sense. And he had to have used his mask in the getaway process. Will he be recognizable to anyone while he wears it?
JMO

 

[taylorss]

There is no way an angry customer or disgruntled employee had access to his calendar. Whomever wanted this guy dead had inside info to know all that.

Is it possible the killer knew an insurance meeting was about to happen & and wanted to kill someone at the event tho not BT in particular? BT was shot at 6:45 am ... if the meeting started at 7, maybe the killer figured he had a good chance of catching someone the "deny, depose" or whatever bullets would apply to ....?
Sorry if this was already combed over, way too hard to keep up here!
Moo

 

[Herat]

I think he certainly wants his crime and his cleverness to be known. I see a cat-and-mouse kind of thing going on. He's playing games with LE and following from afar.

Had he carried an ordinary black backpack like the one he arrived in NYC with, it would be a very different story in trying to find it. I suspect everything that was ever in that backpack was inside a large plastic bag so that no traces of it's contents, including the weapon or any powder trace would be gone , as he couldjust removing the inside plastic bag and put that in the trash.

I don't hold out for quick information that leads to a speedy arrest.

A huge amount of detail in searching fibers and such for months and months and perhaps we will have a general location or something, but I'll bet there is no usable DNA found, no gun, no useful contents.

 

[Curiousobserver]

The itineraries / calendars of corporate CEOs are not available to the public. There is no way some rando would know Brian Thompson would be at an investor's conference on 12/04 at the Hilton in NYC. He had inside information.

Not, as reported, if he apparently knew this 10 days prior. The perp apparently went directly to this site when he arrived in NY. At that point I doubt that BT knew where he was staying.

 

[Chimera]

It's a distinctive backpack with that tan handle the carabiner clip on the lid and the shape. Not a run of the mill black backpack like the one he had at the hostel.

Yes, & I have only seen pics of the tan colored backpack ?
Haven't seen any photos of the black one.
Unless it's been posted and I missed it.
The thread is moving so swiftly I go away for a bit, and it's nearly at the end of the thread.

Color me cynical but I don’t think this was an ideological murder. I will be very surprised if (a large amount of) money wasn’t the main motive. This guy was insanely rich and was also embroiled in an insider selling case where he could turn informer. Bet he had plenty of people who wanted him out of the way for money reasons.

Bbm.

Yeah, could be a valid motive.
Imo.

 

[Chimera]

Not, as reported, if he apparently knew this 10 days prior. The perp apparently went directly to this site when he arrived in NY. At that point I doubt that BT knew where he was staying.

Inside info from someone very high up in the food chain ?
Omo.

 

[Stargazer90]

I am beginning to think that the accomplice or the person who hired him are very intimately involved with his schedule and security details. I don’t mean his wife, but someone in the company who has access to his schedule and information.

His assistant surely has all that info.

Not, as reported, if he apparently knew this 10 days prior. The perp apparently went directly to this site when he arrived in NY. At that point I doubt that BT knew where he was staying.

These events with CEOs are planned well in advance; the plane tickets, hotel reservations, etc. All the arrangements were already in place long before the event date.

 

[no nonsense]

this is on my local news in Atlanta. Its also being reported on CNN

 

[Inthedetails]

How did he eat with his mask on?

Take the mask off and eat away from people and out of sight of a camera.

jmo

 

[Chimera]

I think he certainly wants his crime and his cleverness to be known. I see a cat-and-mouse kind of thing going on. He's playing games with LE and following from afar.

Had he carried an ordinary black backpack like the one he arrived in NYC with, it would be a very different story in trying to find it. I suspect everything that was ever in that backpack was inside a large plastic bag so that no traces of it's contents, including the weapon or any powder trace would be gone , as he could just removing the inside plastic bag and put that in the trash.

I don't hold out for quick information that leads to a speedy arrest.

A huge amount of detail in searching fibers and such for months and months and perhaps we will have a general location or something, but I'll bet there is no usable DNA found, no gun, no useful contents.

Bbm.
Feel like this case reads like a spy novel.
Also bolsters my opinion only that someone wanted Brian silenced.
Just my .02.

Hope this doesn't go cold.
I don't think it will at this point, though.
Surprised LE haven't caught him yet.
Omo.

 

[Simply Southern]

The itineraries / calendars of corporate CEOs are not available to the public. There is no way some rando would know Brian Thompson would be at an investor's conference on 12/04 at the Hilton in NYC. He had inside information.

Oh course the CEO is going to be at the investor conference, he the star of the show.
This is a huge event for the corp. All the brass will be there. These are the BIG stockholders, CEOs of investment firms, and potential investors.

The investment conference is the most important event a corp sponsors. It’s usually listed on the corp website. All stockholders will receive notification by mail.

There are website that track aircraft. He most likely knew when the corp jet landed.

Moo…

 

[taylorss]

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

New York police officers on Friday found a backpack in Central Park that they believe was carried by the man who fatally shot the UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation.

Crime scene technicians photographed and collected evidence in the undergrowth late Friday afternoon as they searched for the distinctive bag the gunman had worn early Wednesday morning. They were also searching for the weapon he used: a pistol that appeared to be fitted with a silencer.

One official said that the contents of the backpack for now remain unknown, and it would be taken directly to a crime lab.

The technicians entered a wooded area in the southern end of the park to photograph and collect evidence, including what appeared to be clothing and a heavy object, placing them into bags as street lamps and Christmas lights flickered on throughout the park.

It was unclear if the items were connected to the gunman, but the location was along what might have been a potential escape route as he cycled through Central Park after the shooting early Wednesday morning.

"A heavy object" maybe that's the gun...