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

[MassGuy]

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting latest: Authorities believe suspect is no longer in New York City

The unidentified man suspected of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel remains at large after Wednesday's attack.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Big Ears]

Taking a taxi means he avoids the CCTV camera problem for a while. However, the number(s) on the taxi could be easily traceable.

Don't NY Taxis have cameras inside cabs?

 

[citizen_sleuth]

I think the gun is probably in that bag. “heavy object” sounds more substantial than a gun to me. Don’t have a clue what it might be though.

My guess is the “heavy object” is the e-bike battery — in the CCTV footage from 85th Street it looked like he was manually pedaling the bike (westbound on 86th Street is also on a slight downward slope, so he wouldn’t have to pedal much).

 

[OneLove]

As to the different backpacks, the detailed descriptions along with the user reviews of the one he used for the hit highlight the "easy and quick access" to contents. This may well be the main reason he used it, especially if he switched out the bike battery and firearm during his escape.

 

[taylorss]

What do you think the heavy object is? Gun weight is 2.1 pounds, not really heavy. Bike can still be ridden just have to pedal.

Supposed gun spec STATION SIX 9 | B&T USA

I was trying to think what it could be & only thought of the gun since he emerged on the bike ... didn't know you could still go on an e-bike w/o the battery! but why would he stop to mess with his bike & leave part behind only to make it slower ?
IMO

 

[Agatha3]

Investor conferences are very public. Even if they aren’t public, many people at his company could probably access his calendar.

To the point where BT may have told a friend, colleague, sports companion all about his plans, even what time he was going to the conference hall.
The suspect looks so cool and confident that I don’t think he needed an accomplice. And an accomplice can always dob you in to police.

 

[Herat]

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting latest: Authorities believe suspect is no longer in New York City

The unidentified man suspected of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel remains at large after Wednesday's attack.

abcnews.go.com

View attachment 549755

That's the right style with the clip on the top and the side panels, and looks new without a lot of wear apparent. It certainly does not look like it has been there for months.

If that's how it was in situ, it's surprising that the perp didn't take time to cover it up with all those leaves there.

Almost looks planted.

 

[acutename]

This murder was very well planned from start to finish. It seems pretty detailed to be able to accomplish everything that this guy accomplished in mid-town Manhattan and get away with it.

I don't know what this guy does as his day job, but it seems to me that he spent a significant amount of time planning it. I think that at least one other person (one locally and/or one from BT's hometown or someone who knows BT) is involved. I also think that a significant payout was offered for all of this planning and execution.

Because it has been determined that the assassin was in NYC for 10 days, he must have a job where he works remotely. I just can't see someone who has an office job being able to get away with this. When I was working, there was no way that I could take off 10 days in a row! I was in the computer field back in the COBOL/mainframe days.

JMO.

he could be "between jobs" or "between semesters"

 

[Cryptic]

Don't NY Taxis have cameras inside cabs?

I believe so- the one I took once did. But... that was a long time ago.

Speaking of cameras, I wonder if the murderer had done any "dry runs" in the days prior to the murder. If so, he may not of thought to wear a mask for the entire dry run.

 

[whitelilac]

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting latest: Authorities believe suspect is no longer in New York City

The unidentified man suspected of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel remains at large after Wednesday's attack.

abcnews.go.com

View attachment 549755

Is this the way it was left? No attempt to cover it.
Maybe not, didn't they say it was under brush near a carousel?

 

[taylorss]

He could have known the date and starting time of the conference in advance, but he had more info than that, clearly.

The following info was publicized in advance:

View attachment 549750

View attachment 549751

Thank you for posting this! I see the meeting didn't start til 8:00, so the shooter wouldn't likely have thought he'd get lucky & hit an insurance man by shooting at anyone near the hotel at 6;45....
Moo

 

[jimg77]

I was trying to think what it could be & only thought of the gun since he emerged on the bike ... didn't know you could still go on an e-bike w/o the battery! but why would he stop to mess with his bike & leave part behind only to make it slower ?
IMO

I've been thinking about why leave the battery also, can't really think of why or what else the heavy object he ditched would be.

 

[MassGuy]

CNN live now:

Talking about facial recognition technology right now by a CEO of a company that provides that software to law enforcement.

He thinks the image is good enough that it could generate a hit. He believes they're checking all sorts of databases for matches. Requires cooperation by other agencies.

A face is not a fingerprint. It's not DNA. It's used to get to a small enough number of people that they can then investigate further.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting latest: Authorities believe suspect is no longer in New York City

The unidentified man suspected of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel remains at large after Wednesday's attack.

abcnews.go.com

View attachment 549755

Wow, he made no effort to hide the bag (assuming that this is his bag, which it appears to be). It looks to me like he just tossed it over the side of one of the biking or walking paths based in the Ramble just below the 79th St Transverse based on the ~2.5-3 foot wall of Manhattan schist topped with granite shown in the picture.

 

[VAres67]

My guess is the “heavy object” is the e-bike battery — in the CCTV footage from 85th Street it looked like he was manually pedaling the bike (westbound on 86th Street is also on a slight downward slope, so he wouldn’t have to pedal much).

Not against this but what is your thought on the purpose of leaving the battery behind?

 

[Inthedetails]

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting latest: Authorities believe suspect is no longer in New York City

The unidentified man suspected of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel remains at large after Wednesday's attack.

abcnews.go.com

View attachment 549755

For anyone wondering why it "took so long" to find a gray backpack in Central Park, please look at the linked map to see how big the park is. It is a huge park! Plus, it's filled with trees, bushes, hills, stairs, briges and underpasses, lakes, boulders, and all the paths are curvy. The bedrock outcrops are essentially the same color as the backpack. It's not some open-plan flat, grassy park where a backpack would be obvious.

Yet, it was found. Kudos to whomever found it.

jmo

6th Ave & Central Park S · New York, NY 10019

Intersection

www.google.com

 

[Agatha3]

True, but I think that's a balaclava and he wears it for warmth. Can easily be pulled up to look like a nondescript black knit cap. We would otherwise know the color of his hair. I think you can see the sides of the knit headgear in one of the hostel photos. I think that's part of the disguise, his hair is fair- like light sandy brown or slightly reddish.

Yes like a wrap around scarf you can pull up when it’s cold, rather than an actual mask.

 

[JennieM]

UnitedHealthcare is increasing security after Brian Thompson’s killing, executive says

The CEO of UnitedHealth Group, Andrew Witty, told employees he would increase security, including “perimeter protection”, at the company’s sites following the killing of one of their colleagues, CEO of the company’s health insurance branch Brian Thompson.

In comments shared with the Guardian, Witty said the company would make “permanent” changes that would make campuses less “welcoming”, but they were necessary in the country’s current “climate”.

UnitedHealthcare is increasing security after Brian Thompson’s killing, executive says

In comments shared with the Guardian, Andrew Witty said ‘permanent’ changes would make campuses less ‘welcoming’

www.theguardian.com

 

[Deleted member 350315]

No one wears a mask any more. That alone makes him look suspicious.

Flat-out wrong. New York City still has large numbers of mask-wearers and I see scores of them on a daily basis, on sidewalks, in public transit, stores, movie theatres, museums, etc. They're not a majority, but there are still enough mask-wearers out there to be easily noticeable and no one I know finds the practice "suspicious."

 

[GMG1999]

Is this the way it was left? No attempt to cover it.
Maybe not, didn't they say it was under brush near a carousel?

Why leave it there in the open? Of all the places you could have discarded something somewhere. Wouldn't you be able to trash it and it might not be found?