UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was separated from his wife when he was shot dead in Manhattan.
Thompson, 50, was shot in the early hours of Wednesday as he headed to an investor conference at the Hilton Midtown in New York. His killer remains free.
At the time of the murder, Thompson and his estranged wife Paulette lived in separate homes less than a mile apart in the suburb of Maple Grove, Minnesota. Wall Street Journal reported.
Thompson bought the $1 million home near his childhood home in 2018, according to public records.
His wife Paulette revealed that her husband, who traveled a lot, had previously received threats. She referred to a “lack of coverage.” Despite the reported threats, Thompson did not travel with security.
Former FBI Supervisor Robert D’Amico said the killing likely occurred because of a personal vendetta against UnitedHealthcare.
D’Amico said simple Google searches would have been enough to yield enough information to allow the gunman to carry out the “brazen, targeted attack.”
“Even a layman can discover that there is so much on the Internet these days and that people put so much on the Internet,” the security consultant said. NBC News.
Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was living apart from his wife Paulette when he was shot dead in Manhattan
The couple have two sons and lived less than a mile apart in the same Minnesota suburb
UnitedHealthcare had made an announcement about the conference without specifying a location.
Investigators are looking for clues that could help them identify the masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of America’s largest health insurers and then disappeared in Central Park.
Police have used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intensive search, but the killer’s whereabouts remain unknown until Thursday morning.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that while investigators had not yet determined a motive, the shooting was not a random act of violence.
“Many people passed by the suspect, but he appeared to be waiting for his intended target,” Tisch said at a news conference on Wednesday.
“From watching the video, it appears he is skilled in the use of firearms because he was able to clear the jams fairly quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
Thomson was charged with insider trading and fraud before he was murdered.
Last year, the DoJ launched an investigation into whether the privately held company of the nation’s largest insurer, led by Thompson, unfairly restricted competition and had a monopoly.
Paulette lives in the family’s $1.5 million home in Minnesota with the couple’s youngest son. Thomson lived less than a mile away
Thompson bought the $1 million home near his childhood home in 2018, according to public records
Footage showed NYPD officers performing CPR on the CEO before he was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead
In May, the City of Hollywood Firefighters’ Pension Fund filed a complaint against Thompson and other executives, accusing the CEO of failing to inform investors about the federal investigation before selling more than 31 percent of his stock, giving him 15 had raised $.1 million in revenue.
In legal filings, the fund says Thompson and other company executives sold more than $117 million worth of UnitedHealth common stock during the four-month period, when insiders knew about the federal antitrust investigation but the public did not.
Police released several surveillance images of the man, who was wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that hid most of his face and would not have attracted attention on a freezing winter day. Some of the photos were taken at a Starbucks coffee shop shortly before the shooting.
Police offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Officials are investigating whether the killer fled on an unmarked e-bike, and not a Citi Bike, as authorities had pointedly said.
Former FBI Supervisor Robert D’Amico said the killing likely occurred because of a personal vendetta against UnitedHealthcare. Thompson is pictured
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” UnitedHealth Group Inc., the insurer’s Minnetonka, Minnesota-based parent company, said in a statement.
“We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”