ELUSIVE KILLER
Cops hit roadblock in hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson assassin after ‘finding fingerprint & burner phone’
New footage has emerged of the assassin from the moments before and after the shooting
THE hunt for the gunman who shot dead UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has hit a roadblock, despite cops tracking him down to a hostel he stayed in before the assassination.
Police earlier released an image of the suspect smirking after raiding the hostel the killer is believed to have stayed in before the brazen execution in Midtown Manhattan.
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Earlier on Thursday, new footage was released showing the suspect cycling out of Central Park just 15 minutes after Thompson was killed.
But despite these pieces of evidence, along with bullet casings, a discarded water bottle, and a cell phone, the killer is still at large.
The healthcare boss, 50, died after being shot in the back as he arrived at the New York Hilton Midtown at around 6:45 am on Wednesday.
A breakthrough in the brutal murder came on Thursday afternoon, when police released two new photos of a man they said is a person of interest wanted for questioning.
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The young man is smirking in the images, which show him wearing a beige hoodie and jacket inside a hostel on the Upper West Side, where police think the killer stayed.
What we know
- The search for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier centered in on a hostel where he is believed to have stayed.
- Cops were spotted at a youth hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
- Sources say he appeared to wear a mask most of the time he was staying at the hostel.
- The suspect was reportedly seen in a nearby housing project before the shooting.
- Detectives believe the gunman may have been an experienced shooter, based on the way he operated.
- Speculation is rising that words "delay" and "depose" written on the bullets used by the killer may reference a 2010 book on insurance companies not paying claims.
- Major health care providers have stepped up personal protection for their top executives following the shooting.
The suspect is said to have worn a face mask for most of the time he was in the hostel and used a fake ID to check in.
Most read in The US Sun
"We are fully cooperating with the NYPD and, as this is an active investigation, can not comment at this time," a spokesperson for the HI New York City Hostel told The U.S. Sun.
The hostel raid came after cops recovered a phone from an alleyway near the Hilton, which they believe belongs to the killer.
They've obtained a search warrant to unlock the phone and go through its contents but have hit a roadblock as they've reportedly been unable to get into the device.
The suspect was previously pictured on surveillance video talking on the phone with someone before the murder, raising questions of whether he had help in the sick plot.
The suspect can also be seen in security footage buying a coffee, a water bottle, and two PowerBars at a nearby Starbucks blocks from the hotel moments before the shooting.
Cops dug the bottle and coffee cup out of a nearby trashcan but were said to be having issues as a fingerprint on the water bottle was smudged.
Investigators are also looking into the purchase of a gun resembling the weapon used in the shooting, reports the .
The purchase of the rare World War Two gun was made in Connecticut, but cops have since said there is no connection.
ATTACK TIMELINE
A man matching the killer's description, wearing a dark jacket, hat, mask, and gray backpack, can be seen appearing to talk on his phone walking toward the Hilton Hotel at around 6:30 am.
He got to the hotel about five minutes before the shooting and lay in wait for Thompson, who was arriving at the hotel for an investor conference.
Disturbing footage showed the gunman pumping multiple rounds into Thompson as he arrived at the luxury hotel.
The killer appeared to be a skilled shooter, law enforcement sources said, using a silencer and gunning down Thompson from a distance of around 20 feet.
He was also able to recover quickly when his gun appeared to jam repeatedly during the shooting, fixing the issue and continuing to fire as the CEO tried desperately to crawl away.
Thompson, a married father, was rushed to Mount Sinai West Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 am, police said.
Following the shooting, the killer got on a bike and rode north on Sixth Avenue, fleeing into nearby Central Park where surveillance camera coverage is patchier.
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A gray backpack the suspect was wearing appears to be one sold by Peak Design.
Bags made by the company sell for up to $330.
The company's CEO, Peter Daring, said he had received some 10 texts following the shooting from people saying the killer seemed to be wearing a Peak Design backpack.
MYSTERY MOTIVE
No motive has been released yet for the killing, but police believe Thompson was "specifically targeted."
Forensics teams discovered a chilling message left on the bullets the killer used to murder Thompson in cold blood.
The words "deny," "depose," and "defend," were found on live rounds and shell casings at the scene, police sources told the New York Post.
Those words could have been a reference to the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which covered insurance companies and why they refuse to pay claims.
There is speculation the killer could have been a disgruntled patient with UnitedHealthcare exacting some form of revenge.
The book's author, Jay M. Feinman, refused to speak following the murder.
A $10,000 reward for information related to the killer has been offered by the NYPD.
Police have urged the public to call Crime Stoppers on 1-800-577-TIPS with any information.
Timeline of Brian Thompson's murder
BRIAN Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, has been shot to death, and a desperate search is underway for his killer.
Here is everything we know about Thompson's murder so far.
December 2 - Thompson travels from his home in Minnesota to New York City for an investor conference in Midtown Manhattan.
December 4, 6:45 am - Thompson walks from his hotel across the street to the New York Hilton Midtown and is murdered by a masked shooter. The execution was caught on surveillance, and the suspect was seen biking away toward Central Park. Cops spark a citywide search for the assassin.
December 4, later that morning - News broke the shooting victim was Thompson, who was the CEO of America's largest private healthcare provider. Cops released disturbing images of the execution, offered a reward for information, and made a desperate plea for New Yorkers to keep their eyes out.
December 4, afternoon - Thompson's estranged wife Paulette revealed her husband had been threatened before he was shot.
December 4, afternoon - Cops released more eerie images of the suspect ordering at Starbucks that partially revealed his face. The U.S. Sun confirmed the coffee shop was just two blocks away from the shooting, but it's unclear when he stopped by.
December 5, morning - Reports claim the words "deny," "dispose," and "defend" were engraved on live rounds and shell casings left behind by the assassin. These words echo the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which is about the failings of the healthcare industry. The author of the book had no comment on the reports.
December 5, morning - Cops raid a hostel in the Upper West Side of New York City where the suspect is said to have stayed. It's believed he wore a mask for most of the time he was there.
December 5, morning - A person of interest in Thompson's murder is pictured. He's wearing a hood in the photo, but his full face could be seen breaking into a beaming grin. Still, no arrests have been made in the investigation.
December 5, afternoon - Law enforcement confirms the suspect arrived in New York City on a Greyhound bus on November 27. It's also confirmed that the suspect dropped a burner cell phone near the scene of the shooting.
On Thursday, New York Mayor Eric Adams expressed his shock over the shooting.
"In all of my years of law enforcement, I have never seen a silencer before," he said.
"And so that was really something that was shocking to us all."
He said on MSNBC's Morning Joe that he believed investigators were "going to apprehend the person" soon.
TRIBUTES PAID
Meanwhile, Thompson's wife, Paulette, said her husband had been receiving threats in the run-up to his murder.
A fake bomb threat targeting Thompson's home was sent approximately 12 hours after his assassination, as reported by .
It has also been revealed the couple were estranged, with the pair living in separate homes less than a mile apart in suburban Maple Grove, Minnesota.
An emotional Paulette paid tribute to her late husband in a statement.
"Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives," she said.
"Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed."
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Thompson, who had been the CEO of America's largest private health insurer since April 2021, earned a salary of almost $9.9 million.
He was with the company for 20 years and was reportedly under investigation by the Department of Justice at the time of his death.
Thompson, along with fellow execs Stephen Helmsley, Erin McSweeney, and Tom Roos, was facing a DOJ probe after netting a combined $101.5 million from stock sales over four months before the public became aware of a federal antitrust investigation.
On February 16, less than two weeks before news of the probe went public, Thompson exercised stock options and sold shares worth $15.1 million.
Thompson had been assigned an in-house security detail during his trip to New York City, a source said, but that detail was not with him at the time of the shooting.
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But a former senior security director at another major insurance company told CNN it is often hard to get executives to accept security even when they are facing threats.
Other healthcare providers have stepped up security for their executives in the wake of Thompson's murder.
UnitedHealth Group Statement on Brian Thompson
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in a brazen attack on December 4 as he was leaving a New York City hotel. Parent company UnitedHealth Group released the following statement:
“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
";Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him.
"We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.
"Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
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