NY - UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Midtown. #4

[CrimeDawg123]

A degree of insider info would be needed to know where BT was staying the night prior to the corporate meeting. Also, how did the shooter know BT would arrive at the Hilton more than an hour prior to the 8 AM start? NYC is a very busy and crowded place even at 7 AM, yet the shooter recognized and picked out BT at a peculiarly well-timed moment. He (?she) must have known him better than most. So I am leaning toward disgruntled former [employee, girlfriend, girlfriend's husband, screwed-over business associate, etc].

I have wondered how the shooter would have the confidence to know he'd be able to identify BT in the instant he exited the hotel. What if BT were bundled up against the cold. How would the shooter have been sure it was him?

 

[eloquence]

Well, that's because Chanel has millions of dollars worth of stock in store.

A hotel (however exclusive it may be) doesn't.

Yes, it may have ultra-high net worth individuals staying there, but the hotel doesn't own them, nor if financially responsible for them, like a store with its stock.

Plus the hotels are probably used to these CEOs and execs sorting out their own security.

That's not to say the Hilton wouldn't have a doorman there to shoo away vagrants, etc. But I can't see it being much more than that.

Totally this. There are smash and grabs all the time (happened a month or two at a Chanel in NYC) and the armed guards are probably an insurance condition and just a deterrent.

That is a very business-y conference hotel in an area of midtown that doesn't typically have issue with vagrants beyond a small number of non-bothersome homeless peopke. An armed hotel guard (or even CEO's security team) can't really do much about a VERY personal and targeted attack.

 

[Inthedetails]

I have wondered how the shooter would have the confidence to know he'd be able to identify BT in the instant he exited the hotel. What if BT were bundled up against the cold. How would the shooter have been sure it was him?

His face?

jmo

 

[NottaYutz]

An early description estimated his height at 6’1”. I don’t know if that estimate has changed since then, but if it’s close to accurate, it’s a rare height for a woman. I really don’t see it.

The lenses is distorting the thickness of everything in that photo, hence he appears more willowy.

 

[annpats]

His face?

jmo

No, bundled up against the cold, e.g. with a scarf up over his face....

How would the perp instantly have recognised BT if that were the case....

 

[CrimeDawg123]

His face?

jmo

Of course. But if the shooter had only seen his photo, and there were many people around, and the target were in a hat/mask for the cold, it might not be so straight-forward.

 

[BrianJohnson]

I have wondered how the shooter would have the confidence to know he'd be able to identify BT in the instant he exited the hotel. What if BT were bundled up against the cold. How would the shooter have been sure it was him?

An accomplice, either a hotel employee of the hotel BT was staying at “he has just left lookout for a guy in a blue jacket” or he had an accomplice staying as a guest at that hotel to track BT movements

 

[docyabut]

What was in that big back pack beside a gun?

 

[RobSA]

I don’t think money is an issue, he wore high end clothing, had an expensive backpack. Looked like he had plenty of money, plus will have demanded at least 50% of the assassination fee upfront

Money would only be an issue in that it is possible he only brought so much cash and now needs access to this bank accounts on the run. He does not want to have to use a debit/credit card.

 

[CrimeHunter444]

If they have sitings here, wouldn't they be able to identify which Gate he used?

I do not understand this either. With all the cameras, they are not able to tell what bus he got on? They have to just be holding back info ....

 

[Fromeaster]

I wonder when the photo robot will be made public, I want to see the whole face

 

[PuzzlinEvidence]

The “it’s a woman” is odd to me...

Sleuths initially noted that the CCTV image showed a likeness to Jake Gyllenhaal, but upon further research they think the suspect is more of a Maggie Gyllenhaal.

 

[Inthedetails]

I do not understand this either. With all the cameras, they are not able to tell what bus he got on? They have to just be holding back info ....

I agree. I think they know what bus he got on, or at least narrowed it down. The station is not bustling but fairly low-key.

jmopinion

 

[annpats]

An accomplice, either a hotel employee of the hotel BT was staying at “he has just left lookout for a guy in a blue jacket” or he had an accomplice staying as a guest at that hotel to track BT movements

Exactly, hence the phone call before!

 

[Inthedetails]

Of course. But if the shooter had only seen his photo, and there were many people around, and the target were in a hat/mask for the cold, it might not be so straight-forward.

It was cold, but it wasn't arctic weather and the Minnesotan, used to far colder weather, only had to cross the street. I guess I don't get the what-if scenario so I'll leave it for people who find it odd he wasn't bundled.

jmo

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

In regards to any comment about the location of the backpack and why it wasn't immediately found. It was not simply on the ground in an open area in plain view. There are several pics that show it behind? some type of border/bench/barrier, and was said to be between boulders. The only way to have found anything for certain in that huge park would have been a walking grid search, requiring hundreds of people to do it throughly and efficiently, just as you would for finding a body.

Also, in this clip, it is explained that the hostel worker made a flirty or teasing comment to get the killer to lower his mask, as required.
MOO

 

[K.jill]

I agree. I think they know what bus he got on, or at least narrowed it down. The station is not bustling but fairly low-key.

jmopinion

Yesterday They announced that Atlanta PD is involved. Iirc the announcement came 2-3 hrs before the bus terminal info.

 

[annpats]

While this type of crime may be uncharacteristic in the USA, I think it is fairly common in Russia and other countries where top businessmen and politicians are frequently assassinated in public places (on the streets of Moscow for example). I think if we look at it from that angle, it is not that unusual (though doing it on the world stage on live camera might be a first). JMO

Oh, I don't know......the USA has had more than it's fair share of assassinations: Martin Luther King, JFK, Robert F. Kennedy, John Lennon, Ronald Reagan (attempted) to think of a few just off the top of my head......

 

[armchairthinker]

A degree of insider info would be needed to know where BT was staying the night prior to the corporate meeting. Also, how did the shooter know BT would arrive at the Hilton more than an hour prior to the 8 AM start? NYC is a very busy and crowded place even at 7 AM, yet the shooter recognized and picked out BT at a peculiarly well-timed moment. He (?she) must have known him better than most. So I am leaning toward disgruntled former [employee, girlfriend, girlfriend's husband, screwed-over business associate, etc].

I think start time would be fairly easy to deduce and not critical. Where he was staying was however. Either he stalked target from arrival in NY (very unlikely on foot and risky) plus a very good chance he'd be staying at hilton or otherwise would have not opportunity due to security etc, he had inside info/collaborators and knew hotel / security arrangements somehow, or he got intel through hacking email or something.

 

[Deleted member 306806]

I think he simply wanted to discard it. If the backpack was found by a passerby or by the NYPD, didn't matter to him, imo. It's usefulness was done so he left it behind, and that's all there is to it.

I half-expect red herrings to be in it, though.

jmo

I agree. Flinging it around or burying it in leaves would bring attention. Quickly slipping it off his shoulders and dropping it behind a wall would not. He could even sit on the wall while doing it.

He does no seem concerned with discarded items. Why - this remains to be known.