By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-06 15:51:56 | Updated at 2024-12-22 21:18:29
2 weeks ago
Online sleuths looking into the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson claim two sets of images showing the killer are of different people.
The NYPD initially released surveillance photos taken just before the Wednesday slaying which showed the shooter at a nearby Starbucks in Midtown New York.
The images showed a white male wearing a grey backpack dressed in a hooded black jacket. Most of his face was obscured by a black balaclava-style covering.
As the manhunt for the suspect entered its second day, investigators released another set of photos showing the 'person of interest', taken at the Upper West Side hostel he was holed up in prior to the attack.
These photos gave the first glimpse of the back-pack wearing suspect's grinning face. He was once again seen sporting a black face mask, but only around his neck.
He also wore a hooded jacket which appeared to be a lighter color than in the first set of images.
Online commenters were quick to point out other discrepancies between the images and claimed the differences suggest they show two different people.
'Obviously different people, bigger frame. Jacket has no breast pockets Facial hair is much darker,' one person wrote on X.
Online sleuths looking into the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson claim two sets of images showing the killer are of different people
'So we’re just posting pictures of people in jackets and hoodies?' another added.
'Different backpack, different jacket, different nose. Great job boys!' one person said.
'It looks like two separate people,' another concurred.
Many focused on the fact that the killer's clothing and backpack appeared to be different colors in the photos, although the image of his face may have been taken in late November.
Experts have also said the killer almost certainly changed out of the outfit he was wearing at the time of the slaying.
The NYPD released the pictures and is offering a $10,000 reward in a bid to try and enlist the public's help in tracking down the murderer.
The suspect remains at large after he was able to escape following the dawn ambush on Thompson, 50, on an e-bike.
The healthcare insurance boss was gunned down on his way to the New York Hilton Midtown Manhattan for an investor conference.
Investigators are yet to release a motive, but bullet casings inscribed with the words 'deny', 'defend' and 'depose' were found at the scene.
Officers are still searching for the unknown assailant who gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, seen here, outside of the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan on Wednesday morning
They released this photo of a 'person of interest' as the hunt was entering its second day
The NYPD released this picture showing the shooter at a nearby Starbucks before the attack
The messages bear similarity to Jay M Feinman's 2010 book 'Delay, Deny, Defend', which details 'why insurance companies don't pay claims and what you can do about it.'
While many have lamented Thompson's death, his 'brazen' murder has ignited outrage over the state of the US healthcare system with many UnitedHealthcare customers posting online about claims which have allegedly been denied.
Thompson's estranged wife revealed that the CEO had received threats 'about a lack of coverage' ahead of his New York trip.
He had a security detail with him for the conference appearance, but they were not present at the time of the attack.
The gunman fired several shots during the ambush and jammed his gun in the process, but managed to quickly clear the obstruction and continue firing, hitting the CEO in the chest and calf.
Former FBI agent Robert D'Amico told DailyMail.com that while the suspect appeared calm and was clearly 'proficient', he was far from a 'professional' hitman.
Social media users pointed out apparent discrepancies between the clothing in the two image sets
Bullets lie on the sidewalk at the scene outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Thompson was shot
The unidentified killer rode a bus from Atlanta to New York City 10 days before he shot Thompson dead, arriving in Manhattan on November 24, according to CNN.
He reportedly spent his days bouncing around the city, and even visited the Hilton hotel days before the killing.
The suspect used a fake ID from New Jersey to check into a hostel in the Upper West Side. He paid in cash.
He checked out of the hostel on November 29 before checking back in on November 30.
