A CNN guest suggested that UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have orchestrated his own murder.
Law enforcement veteran Neill Franklin told Dana Bash that such an idea was not outside the realm of possibility when he made the claim Friday.
Bash had asked the former Maryland officer if he believed New York police knew the identity of Thompson’s shooter.
He said: ‘It’s a very good possibility that they already know who he is, that chance is very high.
“There have been times when people have orchestrated their own demise for certain reasons.”
Clearly shocked, Bash can be heard saying, “wow,” as Franklin continues, “I’m not saying that’s the case,” before Bash asks if it’s related to insurance purposes.
‘Maybe they are afraid of some kind of investigation in the future, maybe they want to leave their family in a good light.
‘There have been cases where people have orchestrated their own demise, that is possible. It cannot be ignored.”
Law enforcement veteran Neill Franklin, seen here, told Dana Bash that such an idea was not outside the realm of possibility when he made the claim Friday.
Thompson, seen here, was shot by an unknown assailant in Midtown, Manhattan on Wednesday morning
Franklin continued, “Here’s what concerns me as a former investigator: This man knew too much about where he would be at any given time.
“It’s a very small window, it’s not like he was walking around. He was there, lurking. Who would have that specific kind of information?’
Officers believe they are closing the net on Thompson’s killer as the manhunt for him continued Friday.
On Friday, investigators managed to find what they believe to be his backpack in Central Park, which they are having tested in a laboratory.
Officers were seen searching the park near 64th Street and Central Park West for evidence related to the gunman after he was seen fleeing into the park on an electric bicycle.
CNN reported that the bag was found by police during their second visit to the park and placed between boulders just south of the park carousel.
The NYPD has also provided a clearer picture of the killer’s movements after he killed Thompson.
They say he entered the park at 6:48 a.m. after the shooting and was then seen leaving 77th Street on Manhattan’s Upper West Side at 6:56 a.m.
Surveillance footage captured him near 86th Street and Columbus Avenue two minutes after leaving the park while still riding his bicycle.
Detectives investigating the murder also found shell casings with the words ‘deny’, ‘defend’ and ‘depose’ engraved on them
On Friday, investigators managed to find what they believe to be his backpack in Central Park, which they are having tested in a laboratory. The backpack can be seen here
At 7:04 a.m., he then got into a taxi at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue and drove north.
At 7:30 a.m. he had arrived at the Port Authority bus station in the north of the city, where he reportedly boarded a bus and left the city.
On Thursday, officials said the person had arrived in the city on a bus from Atlanta, Georgia, in late November and had been staying at a hostel on the Upper West Side.
It was at the hostel that a flirtatious conversation with a hostel worker gave police officers their first look at the killer, when he was asked to lower his mask.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny has said they believe the killer is a disgruntled ex-employee or angry client.
Thompson was scheduled to speak at an investor meeting at the hotel Wednesday morning, where he would announce United Healthcare’s hugely profitable 2025 financial outlook, including projected revenues of more than $450 billion.
His plan was well known, and witnesses said the suspected shooter even knew which door Thompson would exit through before opening fire.
It was at the hostel that a flirtatious conversation with a hostel worker gave police officers their first look at the killer, when he was asked to lower his mask.
United is the largest health insurer in America in terms of market share. They have been the subject of activists’ protests for allegedly systematically denying patients care.
One such protest earlier this year led to the arrest of 11 people outside United Healthcare’s headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
The company made headlines in February after it was subjected to a cyber attack that cost $872 million.
Thompson’s wife, Paulette “Pauley” Thompson, 51, has said her husband had received “some threats” before his trip to New York.
Thompson was also investigated by the Justice Department for antitrust violations and charged with insider trading.
The department launched an investigation into whether the private company unfairly restricted competitors and had a monopoly.