The NYPD released new crystal-clear photos early Sunday of the suspect wanted for killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
One photo shows the suspect looking out from behind a medical face mask, with just his eyes and thick eyebrows visible. A second photo shows the masked man standing outside a vehicle wearing a black hooded puffer jacket.
The photos are the latest set of surveillance images released by cops as the manhunt for the assassin enters its fourth day.
The killer shot Brian Thompson, 50, early Wednesday as the victim walked to a Hilton hotel on W. 54th St. and Sixth Ave. where he was about to address colleagues and investors at a conference, police said.
Video footage shows the man shoot Thompson in the back, then fire three more times, at one point calmly pausing to clear a jam in his pistol. Police believe he may have been using a B&T Station 6 bolt action pistol, which is commonly used by veterinarians to quietly put down farm animals, police said.
Cops found the words “Deny,” “Delay” and “Depose” written in Sharpie on the bullets — reminiscent of the health insurance industry mantra “Deny, Delay, Defend” for delaying claims and maximizing profits.
Thompson’s killing has sparked waves of public contempt over the health insurance industry and his killer has become something of a folk hero across social media, with some taking to TikTok to sing murder ballads about him.
Police found the killer’s backpack in Central Park and are testing it for DNA, cops said. A high-ranking NYPD official said the bag contained Monopoly game money.
The feds late Friday began distributing a wanted poster after police said the suspect may have jumped on an interstate bus at an uptown Port Authority terminal within 46 minutes of the shooting.
On Saturday, Mayor Adams announced that the “net is tightening” though he wouldn’t confirm if police have identified the shooter, who was caught on surveillance footage smiling at a worker at an Upper West Side hostel where he stayed before the killing.
“We don’t want to release that now,” Adams said when asked if detectives knew the suspect’s name. “If you do, you’re basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking and (we) don’t want to give him an upper hand at all.”
The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward and police are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.
Originally Published:
