Police have yet to confirm a motive in the shocking murder of America’s top health insurance CEO in New York City, but the killer left a trail of glaring clues.
The mysterious killer is still on the loose after fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare chief Brian Thompson early Wednesday in Midtown Manhattan.
Ammunition found near the 50-year-old executive’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by critics of the insurance industry.
Meanwhile, police found Monopoly money inside the killer’s backpack in Central Park. Online sleuths have investigated the message he may have hoped to convey.
“This money should symbolize the monopoly UHC has created with its 150+ subsidies including pharmacies, hospitals, hospice, and insurance,” one Reddit user wrote, prompting widespread agreement from hundreds of others.
‘Wait, are we sure this isn’t Banksy? Monopoly money is making this whole thing look like the greatest performance art of all time…’ said one person, joining the clamor of voices noting that the shooter left the board game dollars behind to send a message.
“I wanted them to find that…” one person said, while another added, “This guy is making fun of the police; not only did he intentionally drop the backpack where they were waiting, he hid it while he WANTED them to find it.”
The shooting has exposed mass discontent with the U.S. healthcare system, while putting UnitedHealthcare’s troubling history of rejecting claims in the spotlight.
The last images of the alleged murderer appear to have been taken inside the taxi that picked him up on 86th Street and Columbus Avenue two minutes after leaving Central Park.
Police have yet to confirm a motive in the shocking murder of America’s top health insurance CEO in New York City, but the killer left a trail of obvious clues.
Cops found Monopoly money inside the killer’s (pictured) backpack in Central Park. Online sleuths have investigated the message he may have hoped to convey.
After the assassination, Americans flooded the Internet with their own personal horror stories of being denied crucial treatment or even losing a loved one due to not being able to cover the cost of essential care.
The Monopoly money may also be a nod to UnitedHealthcare’s moves to acquire a larger share of the health insurance industry, giving it a disturbing level of control by potentially eliminating competition.
In February 2022, the Justice Department moved to block UnitedHealthcare from acquiring health technology company Change Healthcare Inc, saying the proposed $13 billion transaction would harm competition in commercial health insurance markets.
“Following the acquisition, United could use rivals’ information to gain an unfair advantage and harm competition in the health insurance markets,” the Justice Department wrote in a news release at the time.
“The proposed transaction would also eliminate United’s only major rival in first-pass claims editing technology, a critical product used to efficiently process health insurance claims and save insurers billions of dollars each year, and would give United a monopoly share in the market.
Last month, the Justice Department, along with four attorneys general, also filed another civil antitrust lawsuit to block UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group (UHG), from acquiring a rival provider, Amedisys Inc.
“We are challenging this merger because home care and hospice patients and their families going through some of the most difficult times of their lives deserve high-quality, affordable care options,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in the statement of November 12.
“The Department of Justice will not hesitate to rein in illegal consolidation and monopolization in the healthcare market that threatens to harm vulnerable patients, their families, and healthcare workers.”
Brian Thompson (pictured), who had been CEO of UnitedHealthcare since April 2021, was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital after the shooting and was later pronounced dead.
It comes after New York City Mayor Eric Adams hinted that police may have identified the killer in their latest tip, but have not yet revealed his name.
Asked Saturday if investigators knew the name of the mystery gunman, Adams said, “We don’t want to reveal that right now,” according to the New York Post.
“If we do it, we’re basically giving a tip to the person we’re looking for and we don’t want to give them any advantage,” the former NYPD captain added.
‘Let him continue to believe that he can hide behind the mask. We reveal his face. We are going to reveal who he is and we are going to bring him to justice… The net is tightening.’
When asked on Sunday morning if police knew the suspect’s identity, the NYPD told DailyMail.com: “There have been no updates on the case.”
Authorities are investigating the incident as a murder, as the search for the mysterious assailant continues beyond the borders of New York state.
The NYPD released new photos of the killer Saturday night. He has been described as white and is around 6’1′ tall, but hardly any other details have been given.
Police said the killer shot Thompson in the back and leg outside the New York Hilton Midtown on West 54th Street around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday.
The New York police released several photographs of the alleged murderer. The suspect, pictured above, has been described as white and about 6’1′ tall, but few details have been given.
He fired several shots during the ambush and even jammed his gun in the process, which he managed to quickly clear to continue shooting.
The attacker is believed to have used a rare World War II-era inspired 9mm weapon, which the New York Post reported was a Swiss-made Brugger & Thomet VP9.
Ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” imitating a phrase used by critics of the insurance industry.
The killer fled the scene on an electric bicycle down 6th Avenue toward Central Park, and was seen leaving the park at 6:56 a.m.
The last images of the killer appear to have been taken inside the taxi that picked him up at 86th Street and Columbus Avenue two minutes after leaving Central Park.
By retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, police say, it appears he left the city by bus about 45 minutes after the shooting.
UHG is the nation’s largest health insurance conglomerate. The company expected to generate revenue of $450 billion in 2025, and Thompson is believed to earn a salary in the region of $10 million a year.
Thompson, who had been CEO of UnitedHealthcare since April 2021, was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition after the shooting and was later pronounced dead.
I was scheduled to speak at aInvestors meeting at the Hilton Hotel the morning of the shooting.
Flags flew at half-staff at UnitedHealthcare headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota, on Wednesday following the executive’s killing.
He is survived by his wife Paulette ‘Pauley’ Thompson, 51, and their two children who live in the family’s $1.5 million home in Maple Grove, Minnesota.