NY - UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Midtown.

[azure]

I promise to stop spamming the thread, but let's imagine that I had a son who had a procedure denied by UHC and then died. Let's further imagine that in my grief I decided to take out the CEO of their healthcare division.

Wouldn't you suppose I'd shout something like, "because of you, my son _______ died"? If I didn't want to stick around and potentially get shot by a cop, wouldn't I carve the kid's name into my bullets? The 'relative of someone harmed by a UHC denial' angle seems somewhat thin. If you're far gone enough to kill the CEO, wouldn't you make your motive more clear?

 

[Boodles]

Did I miss something about the e-bike? He's apparently carrying an e-bike battery earlier but they think/know he took a citibike to leave the crime scene. Was the citibike a back up plan?

It was later clarified to be an e-bike but not a citi-bike that he escaped on.

 

[whitelilac]

That nose looks fake

I think it's the play of light. If he wanted a disguise, I'd think a mustache or strands of red or curly hair would be more effective.

 

[blackpeter]

But why THIS guy?
He is far from a household name. Admittedly he is a symbol of the extreme capitalist state of health care in America. So it's possible.

But I lean towards one of these:
1) someone who believes they have been hurt by this company, or,
2) wants us to believe that the killer is an anti-capitalist (i.e. misdirection, possibly someone known to the victim)

I’m speculating this person became enraged after seeing the insurance company CEO cash out $15M in stock options while their child was denied coverage for cancer treatments (or some similar variety of grievance).

 

[citizen_sleuth]

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s assassin may have left message on bullets used in murder: sources

Sources said several of the pieces of evidence each contained one word, indicating the shooter may have been trying to leave a message.

nypost.com

<snipped & BBM>
The NYPD is investigating the possible message — which appears to include the words “deny,” “depose” and “defend” — written on live rounds and shell casings left behind by the masked assassin after he shot Thompson, 50, several times at about 6:46 a.m. before fleeing, the sources said.

Sources said several of the pieces of evidence each contained one word, indicating the shooter may have been trying to leave a message.

 

[azure]

Last post tonight I promise: does UHC have anything to do with health benefits for veterans? We've got someone with shooting skills carving the word "defend" into a shell casing. Could it possibly be a veteran suffering from MH issues and denied care? Probably my least likely theory tbh, but some interesting correlations.

 

[lydiafaithfull]

That’s been a leading theory of mine; some sort of anticapitalist.

This ain’t some hired hit, it’s some sort of ideological thing.

His wife shared that he’d been receiving threats. Why murder someone you’re hoping to intimidate into doing your bidding? Why not frighten him into compliance? Whoever is in line for his position should be watched closely.

 

[MesquiteO21]

But if you had personal motivations to kill someone prominent, making it look like you're against the institution he represents would be a good way to deflect.

Bingo!

Then again at this point I can’t completely rule out that it was in fact related to UHC. I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard of someone being so aggrieved with their insurance company (or the larger system as a whole) that they choose violence against the CEO, but I’ve seen much, much stranger things because people are, in fact, nuts.
Jmo

 

[Boodles]

100%. Just posted something similar. As a speaker he would and should show up an hour early. He would have likely been directed to do so by the planning team who wanted to make sure he was ready to go and potentially walk the stage beforehand. Why the sidd door?

He was only walking by the side door to get to the front entrance of the Hilton. The side doors remain locked until 8am. The route from his hotel took him directly down 54th St to get to the front entrance.

 

[MassGuy]

Last post tonight I promise: does UHC have anything to do with health benefits for veterans? We've got someone with shooting skills carving the word "defend" into a shell casing. Could it possibly be a veteran suffering from MH issues and denied care? Probably my least likely theory tbh, but some interesting correlations.

There's the VA Health System for that, so I doubt it.

 

[CrimeSlog]

Where is this "divorce" speculation originating from? Did someone have a source for that? TIA

 

[azure]

There's the VA Health System for that, so I doubt it.

My quick Google search suggested that some VA plans might be administrated by UHC. I don't know enough about health insurance or the VA to be sure.

Here's an example: https://www.uhcprovider.com/content...aturevalue-bip/veterans-administration-ca.pdf

 

[KooshBall]

That’s been a leading theory of mine; some sort of anticapitalist.

This ain’t some hired hit, it’s some sort of ideological thing.

But why not send a clearer message? I'm wondering if the words were meant to turn the attention of the investigation away from someone very close to Brian. I can't decide if I think it was a lone crazy person, or a hit, yet.

 

[MesquiteO21]

I’d flee, too, seeing someone shoot a person within feet of me. I hope they id’d the person and are speaking with them.

And I hope she’s left alone by the media, my god

 

[MassGuy]

I promise to stop spamming the thread, but let's imagine that I had a son who had a procedure denied by UHC and then died. Let's further imagine that in my grief I decided to take out the CEO of their healthcare division.

Wouldn't you suppose I'd shout something like, "because of you, my son _______ died"? If I didn't want to stick around and potentially get shot by a cop, wouldn't I carve the kid's name into my bullets? The 'relative of someone harmed by a UHC denial' angle seems somewhat thin. If you're far gone enough to kill the CEO, wouldn't you make your motive more clear?

Yes. That would be an emotional act, and we'd expect to see indications of that with the crime itself. Overkill, no need for a silencer, something less methodical.

This would have been planned for a while, and required scouting missions and preparation. He etched words onto bullet casings, obtained a silencer, and likely practiced to some extent. He knew how he was going to arrive, how he was going to escape, and how to minimize visibility in a city where that's all but impossible.

This guy hates this company, or hates something bigger than this one company. It appears to me to be more similar to some sort of terrorist attack, than something personal.

 

[TTF14]

How did someone know he was going to arrive so early to an 8AM conference? Was breakfast being served at 7AM?

When did he get into town? Hopefully they are reviewing surveillance footage from the night before (and however long he'd been in town)....maybe this wasn't the first attempt.

Side note: I wonder how long it will take for this to be a Law & Order episode. This season or season premier for next?

 

[lovesit]

Could have been w another woman, he showers (she calls hitman) and off he goes…

 

[whitelilac]

Bingo!

Then again at this point I can’t completely rule out that it was in fact related to UHC. I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard of someone being so aggrieved with their insurance company (or the larger system as a whole) that they choose violence against the CEO, but I’ve seen much, much stranger things because people are, in fact, nuts.
Jmo

Well there's rage and violence against others in power, several cases against judges for example. ...and corporations (oil, pipelines, environmental cases, pollution that affects communities...)

 

[CrimeSlog]

Deny, Defend, and Depose make me think this is related to the DOJ investigation into the UHC Execs who sold stock prior to the other investors and public being made aware of the investigation. AND the timing of the sale is also around the time of the cyberattack. I am wondering if the cyber attack was LESS about getting member's PHI, but MORE about getting into the Exec's files and communications, etc....

Like, Denying he did anything wrong, defending the company, depositions related to the probe? This is all just so crazy... but this is definitely one case where I do not suspect the spouse AT ALL.

 

[lydiafaithfull]

But why not send a clearer message? I'm wondering if the words were meant to turn the attention of the investigation away from someone very close to Brian. I can't decide if I think it was a lone crazy person, or a hit, yet.

Like the Jon Benet ransom note. A “foreign faction” or whatever. A poorly constructed ruse.