A former FBI special agent has explained why authorities have not yet released the name of the suspected killer who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on Wednesday.
Jason Pack told Fox News Digital: “Prematurely releasing a suspect's name could potentially tip off the suspect and undermine NYPD and FBI efforts in both fugitive and criminal investigations.'' There is,” he said.
“For example, if a police officer is closing in on a suspect, disclosing the suspect's name in public may cause the suspect to flee, or they may miss the suspect in their current location. .”
Pack told Fox News Digital on Friday that information began pouring in to investigators within hours of the release of a full-body photo of a suspect in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.
UnitedHealthcare CEO assassination: Crime experts shed light on the questions investigators are trying to answer
Former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital that there's a reason authorities haven't released the name of the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Gideon Pratt/Stage Star Deli)
“Suspects are not sure if law enforcement has identified them and are left playing a guessing game as they calculate their next move,” Pack said. “Investigators must methodically build a case and ensure that every detail is consistent with the legal standard of probable cause.
“The public may have an insatiable curiosity, but if you have a name — by withholding a name, law enforcement has an advantage. The full story will eventually come out.”
Mr. Pack is a former supervisory special agent who has worked with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies on several high-profile cases, including the Boston Marathon bombing investigation, where he served as an FBI spokesperson on the ground. I've been working on it.
Fox News contributor and former D.C. homicide detective in an interview on “Fox News Live” Saturday. Ted Williams echoed Pack's sentiments, expressing optimism about finding Thompson's killer.
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UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning. (Businesswire | NYPD Crimestoppers)
“I can tell you behind the scenes that the walls are starting to close in on this would-be professional killer,” Williams told host Eric Shawn. “As you said, the FBI has joined this search, and I think it's only a matter of time before they get him. The photo of him that the FBI has is now posted all over this country. It has been.”
Williams emphasized that the FBI's involvement in the investigation will help it conclude more quickly.
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“Facial recognition technology in New York is limited to New York. But with the FBI's involvement, they now have access to a national database,” the former detective explained. “And that will be very meaningful and helpful to this investigation.”
Thompson was shot just before 7 a.m. Wednesday outside a New York City hotel and died less than 30 minutes later. detectives are investigating number of clues Items left behind by the suspect included a backpack, water bottle, phone and shell casings.
Phillip Holloway spoke to FOX News Digital about the search for CEO Brian Thompson's killer. (Peter Garber/NYPD)
Bloomberg reported that investigators found not a gun in the backpack, but a jacket believed to be related to the murder.
It has not been confirmed whether the backpack seen on the surveillance camera is the same one the suspect was wearing at the time of the murder.
NBC News also reported on Saturday that Monopoly money was found inside the backpack.
“The killer is playing a game with the authorities. It's all part of a cat-and-mouse game. This killer knew they likely wouldn't find the backpack, and told the authorities he was in charge, not them.” They're leaving breadcrumbs to let people know they're in control,'' Williams told Fox News Digital.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams also acknowledged that authorities are “close” on a suspect in Thompson's murder as the investigation enters its fourth day, the New York Post reported.
“The net is getting tighter,” Adams told reporters during the Police Athletic League's holiday party in Harlem on Saturday.
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The FBI is offering information on a $50,000 reward on a murder suspect.
Officers believe the murder suspect rode his bicycle into Central Park shortly after the murder and discarded the evidence. It is believed that he left New York City shortly after Thompson's death.
Fox News Digital's Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com.
