NEW YORK – A masked gunman wanted in connection with the ambush shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson took various forms of transportation Wednesday morning before police say he apparently boarded a bus leaving the Big Apple. authorities told Fox News.
Police traced the suspect from the crime scene near 54th Street and Sixth Avenue to Central Park, where he exited at 77th Street and Central Park West, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney told Fox News on Friday.
Kenney's boss, New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch, added that investigators had obtained a large amount of physical evidence, as well as video and digital evidence, that could lead to the killer.
“In fact, a tremendous amount of forensic evidence has been collected on this case, including DNA evidence and fingerprint evidence, all of which is currently being processed in the lab,” she said on Fox News on Friday. .
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's 'premeditated' attack and suspect's escape: Timeline
This undated photo provided by UnitedHealth Group shows UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group, via A)
These may include samples of drinks left by the suspects near the crime scene, as well as a dropped burner cell phone that police recovered several steps away.
He took his bike and walked to Columbus Street, then ditched the cab and headed to the uptown bus terminal, where investigators found video of him getting into it about an hour after the murder.
He entered the park wearing a backpack and came out without it, causing NYPD to spend most of Friday searching for evidence. They reportedly discovered a backpack full of Monopoly money over the weekend and sent a diving team to a pond in the park.
Authorities are currently conducting an interstate investigation of the suspect, whose identity has not been released.
United Healthcare CEO assassination: Here are the crumbs left behind by the killer
A screenshot of surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows a person wanted in connection with the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. is reflected. (NYPD Crime Stoppers)
Kenney said the suspect arrived in New York about 10 days before the murder and there is only one person of interest in the case. He is believed to have traveled to New York City on a Greyhound bus that left Atlanta the day before Thanksgiving. He used a fake ID and paid in cash to check into an Upper West Side hostel, but police obtained an unmasked image of the person of interest from the building's lobby surveillance camera. I was able to.
“Our goal in all of this is to bring closure to families, to bring justice to families, to bring justice, but people need to understand that this is not a TV show.” “We're not going to solve this problem in 60 minutes. This is going to be done painstakingly. We have to do it right. Ultimately, we're going to get this case in front of a judge and jury. We have to take the time now to connect the dots and make the arrest.”
United Healthcare CEO's murder: Investigators start small, focus on family, search for motive
Map shows known locations of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder suspect. (Fox News)
He said it was too early to assert a motive, but acknowledged the suspect had left potential clues.
“I'm not going to reveal the motive right now, but the text clearly shows the employment status of the victim. It could be that he was a disgruntled employee or a disgruntled customer, but I don't think he could have been a disgruntled employee or a disgruntled customer.” We're not going to rule it out, but we're certainly not going to commit to that at this point,” Kenney said.
A dignitary wanted for questioning in connection with Wednesday's assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson looks out the window that separates the driver and passenger area of a taxi. (New York City Police Department)
The gunman left behind a shell casing with the words “resign,” “denies,” and “defend” written on it by hand, and left behind a shell casing with the words “resign,” “denies,” and “defend” written in the book “Delay, Denial, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What About It.” Is it possible to do this?” “There was speculation that the killing was a result of anger at having his claims denied.
Criminal profiler John Kelly said a small company dependent on United Healthcare suffered losses in a business involved and believed the masked assassin was motivated by either “revenge or money.” He told Fox News Digital.
He said February's massive hack, which Reuters reported affected 100 million Americans, may have been a factor in the incident for victims who experienced personal and financial setbacks as a result. I think there is.
In addition to the hack, Kelly said there are other reasons customers are angry with UnitedHealthcare.
A panoramic view of a Greyhound bus at the terminal on Friday, December 6, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. The man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson traveled from Atlanta to New York City last month on a Greyhound bus. (Robin Lane, Fox News Digital)
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According to the class action lawsuit, the company routinely wrongfully denies care to elderly patients under Medicaid Advantage plans by overwriting human doctors with AI models that have a 90% error rate. It is claimed that
“Despite high error rates, defendants continue to systematically deny claims using flawed AI models, because very few appeals of denied claims. They know that only a minority of policyholders (about 0.2%) will pay out of pocket or forgo the remainder of their prescribed post-acute treatment. ” the lawsuit alleges.
The civil case is still ongoing, and the hunt for the killer continues.
The NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward in this case and is asking the public to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You can also submit a tip via their website. All calls are kept confidential.
