NYPD Scuba Team Gears Up at Central Park Lake
Police are preparing to conduct a water search in New York City's Central Park as they continue to search for evidence in the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Rashid Umar Abbasi, Fox New Digital)
New York City police scuba divers were seen searching a lake in Central Park as the investigation into the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson continues.
Divers were searching for evidence in the lake all Sunday morning. The lake is near where authorities found a backpack associated with the suspect. Images and video showed divers signaling to each other as the search continued.
Police had not announced as of late Sunday morning that they had recovered any evidence from the lake.
Police said the suspect fled the scene of the shooting last week, riding his bicycle to Central Park and then taking a taxi to a Port Authority bus stop. His arrival at the bus stop led police to conclude that he was no longer in New York City.
Shocking video shows United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot dead in New York City
Police recovered a backpack associated with the suspect in the park. It contained Monopoly money and a jacket.
Former FBI agent Scott Duffy told Fox News Digital that the backpack was taken to a lab in Queens for forensic testing, where trace evidence will be processed.
”[It’s] Hair and fiber processing [and] “DNA,” Duffy explained Saturday. “If he puts his hand on the strap and buckles it, like most of us do, we'll most likely find DNA there.” That and the zipper. ”
Members of the NYPD scuba team leave the lake in Central Park on Sunday, December 8, 2024 in New York City, New York.
The NYPD first announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest and conviction. The FBI announced late Friday that it was offering up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.
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The manhunt now spans multiple states and entered its fifth day on Sunday. The New York City bus stop used by the suspects served routes that could take them to New Jersey, north to Boston, and south to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Members of the NYPD scuba team leave the lake in Central Park on Sunday, December 8, 2024 in New York City, New York. (Rashid Umar Abbasi, Fox News Digital)
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Former D.C. homicide detective Ted Williams said the Monopoly money in the backpack “is the killer playing a game with the authorities. It's all part of the cat-and-mouse game.”
“This killer knew there was a good chance the backpack would never be found, so he left a trail of breadcrumbs. [the] “The authorities know he is in charge, not themselves.”
