As the manhunt for the cold-blooded killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson enters its third day, the twists and turns of the investigation show no signs of abating.
The killer has managed to evade capture despite carrying out the ‘brazen’ attack in the middle of one of the busiest and most heavily guarded cities in the world.
Thompson, 50, was shot in the early hours of Wednesday at New York’s Hilton Midtown Manhattan by a masked assailant who approached from behind and calmly shot him several times before fleeing the scene.
While the picture that has since emerged is one of a carefully planned attack, the suspect left behind some clues that many hoped could lead to an arrest.
But nearly 72 hours after the murder, all police seem to have found are a partial fingerprint, a burner phone and a fake ID card, despite a cash reward and frenzied media coverage that has sent the suspect’s photos spread across the planet.
As the investigation focuses on Thompson’s inner circle in Minnesota, hundreds of tips pour in from across the country for police to follow up. New York Times reports.
There have already been several false starts in the investigation. Police initially said the suspect fled toward Central Park on a CitiBike.
Many noted how easy it would be to delete the details of the paid bikes that require a membership or payment card.
The search for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has entered its third day and is spreading across the country
However, this theory has since been jettisoned, with police claiming they believe the getaway vehicle was a different type of e-bike that was not registered.
A major gap in the investigation is the absence of the murder weapon. Detectives have speculated that the killer used a rare World War II weapon in the shooting, based on video surveillance taken at the scene.
They are now investigating a firearm purchase in Connecticut that matches the suspected weapon. the New York Post reported.
In New York, the search for the killer led police to two hostels on the Upper West Side.
Police visited KAMA Central Park and nearby Fredrick Douglas, but quickly determined they had the wrong location.
It has since been determined that the killer was staying at the HI New York City Hostel and first checked in late last month.
Surveillance footage from the property provided the first clearer images of the suspect’s face, but he was careful not to completely remove his hood.
Officials said he checked into the hostel using a fake New Jersey ID. A background check quickly revealed that the images of the shooter did not match the ID.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch is overseeing the investigation into the ‘brutal’ attack that has seen the killer evade capture so far
50-year-old Brian Thompson was shot dead Wednesday morning as he headed to a conference at a Hilton in New York.
Police said Thursday that they recovered a water bottle and a container of protein bars from a garbage bin near the ambush site and believe the suspect bought them at a Starbucks minutes before the shooting.
The items are currently with the city’s medical examiner for testing. Investigators are also still cracking a burner phone found at the crime scene.
The public has flooded police with tips, many of them unfounded. Police searched a Long Island Rail Road train Wednesday evening after a commuter claimed to have spotted the gunman, but they found no trace of the shooter.
The suspect has so far ensured that his transactions were made in cash only, making it more difficult for police to trace his movements.
Although calculated, according to experts, there are times when he is labeled as an amateur rather than a professional hitman.
These included being caught on surveillance footage from a nearby Starbucks in the moments before the shooting.
The grainy footage was released by police, along with the promise of a $10,000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to his arrest.
Bullets litter the sidewalk at the site outside the Hilton Hotel in downtown Manhattan where Thompson was shot
Police are said to be investigating the sale of a firearm in Connecticut amid speculation that the weapon used was a rare World War II weapon.
The NYPD released several images of the gunman, including photos of him standing at a counter, with his face largely hidden by a balaclava.
It is unclear whether police have arrested witnesses to the crime. A passing driver said this Pix11 he heard the shots and turned to see the gunman as he made a delivery early Wednesday.
Surveillance footage from the scene also shows a terrified woman running for her life as the gunman opens fire.
Detectives cannot yet say anything about the motive for the crime. However, the bullet casings found at the scene had the words ‘depose’, ‘deny’ and ‘defend’ scrawled on them.
The message is eerily similar to Feinman’s 2010 book “Delay, Deny, Defend,” which describes “why insurance companies don’t pay claims and what you can do about it.”