The assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan last week has captured national attention, not only for the brazen nature of the act but also for the bizarre clues left behind that have raised more questions than answers.
While many are horrified by the killing, which saw the CEO of one of the US’ biggest healthcare providers get gunned down in an early morning shooting on December 4 by an as-yet-unidentified shooter, even more are fascinated by the killing, which has still not been solved.
Though the manhunt for the masked gunman continues, the focus has shifted to the evidence recovered at the scene and nearby locations.
Among the items left behind were shell casings inscribed with the words ‘deny,’ ‘defend,’ and ‘depose’, phrases tied to common healthcare practices.
Days later, a backpack believed to belong to the suspect was found, stuffed with Monopoly money.
But many questions have still not been answered in the case.
The murderer’s identity has still not been revealed by investigators, nor has a motive.
Though they claim to be closing in on him, the NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to his capture, while the FBI is offering even more for information.
Many other questions remain unanswered, five days on from the fatal shooting.
DailyMail.com takes a look at some of the still unanswered questions five days on from his cold-blooded murder
Why was Brian Thompson murdered?
Brian (pictured) didn’t have a security detail with him when he killed in midtown New York
Brian Thompson was murdered at 6:44am on December 4 outside a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan by an as-yet-unknown assailant (pictured)
This dearth of information released to the public in this case has allowed countless theories on the killer’s motive to spring up, ranging from plausible to bonkers.
One theory is that the shooter was a disgruntled person who was furious with Thompson for his work at the top of one of the biggest deniers of healthcare in the US.
Insured Americans have long complained that UnitedHealthcare refused to cover their care, as an analysis by ValuePenguin concluded it denies 32 percent of claims – double that of the industry average for large health insurance companies.
As the CEO of the healthcare firm, Thompson was described as a ‘critical’ part of the healthcare industry by the CEO of the parent company that owns UnitedHealthcare, Andrew Witty.
Bolstering the theory was the fact that bullet rounds and casings with the words ‘delay’, ‘deny’, ‘depose’, referencing a 2010 book by law professor Jay Feinman called ‘Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It’, etched into them.
A related theory claims that the shooter was denied coverage by UnitedHealthcare.
The brazen nature of the crime and the cryptic clues left behind have captivated public attention and led retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer to conclude this was far more than a random act of violence.
‘This seems much larger, like a vigilante,’ Coffindaffer told The Daily Beast. ‘Somebody who is well prepared to make a big statement and blames UnitedHealthcare.’
Among the evidence left at the scene were shell casings etched with the words ‘deny,’ ‘defend,’ and ‘depose.’
Another theory for the motive stems from the fact that Thompson was being investigated by the Department of Justice for alleged insider trading.
According to a lawsuit filed in May, Thompson and three other UnitedHealth Group executives were accused of selling more than $120million of stock amid an antitrust investigation before disclosing it to investors.
The news of an antitrust investigation, revolving around UnitedHealth’s desire to purchase rivals, would’ve tanked the price of the stock.
As of today, the New York City Police Department has not announced a motive.
Who is the killer?
The killer’s (pictured) identity has not yet been publicly released
The killer’s identity has not yet been publicly released. On Saturday, NYC mayor Eric Adams claimed a press conference that it was in the NYPD’s interest not to release a name.
He said, without justification: ‘If you do, you’re basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking, and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all. Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask.’
Despite Adams’ bold words, the NYPD is still offering a reward of $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.
The FBI is offering an even bigger award of $50,000 for information, and has now put him on its most wanted list.
The secretive agency said it is ‘seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the unknown suspect responsible” for Thompson’s fatal shooting.
Why didn’t Brian Thompson have a security detail, despite receiving threats?
Paulette Thompson (pictured) said her husband had received death threats in the leadup to his murder
Thompson’s widow Paulette told NBC in an interview that her husband had been receiving threats related to medical coverage in the run-up to his death.
‘There had been some threats. Basically, I don’t know, a lack of [medical coverage? I don’t know details’, she said.
‘I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.’
Despite these threats, Brian didn’t have a security detail with him when he was in midtown New York.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters last week: ‘Speaking to other employees that traveled with him to New York, it doesn’t seem like he had a security detail.
‘He left the hotel by himself, was walking, didn’t seem like he had any issues at at all.’
This, according to NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch, was Thompson’s fatal mistake.
‘Many people passed the suspect, but [the gunman] appeared to wait for his intended target.’
The move comes as a surprise in the context of increasing threats made against corporate leaders, according to the New York Times.
The newspaper reported that the median amount of money S&P 500 companies are spending on executive security doubled from 2021 to 2023, amid a rise of online and in-person threats made by disgruntled people.
Michael Julian, CEO of MPS Security & Protection, a firm that specialises in corporate protection, told Axios: ‘I’m just shocked the guy didn’t have a protective detail.’
Who is the mysterious woman who fled the scene?
Footage of the attack shows a figure, who appears to be a woman dressed in dark clothing and holding a coffee cup, fleeing from a doorway as the assassin opens fire just meters away.
While most people have focused on the shock shooting, online sleuths have been baffled by the mystery woman who was seen fleeing from the scene of the attack.
Footage of the attack shows a figure, who appears to be a woman dressed in dark clothing and holding a coffee cup, fleeing from a doorway as the assassin opens fire just meters away.
We do not yet know who this person is, but there has been no suggestion that they were involved or knew Thompson.
Indeed, they appeared to be surprised by the shooting, cowering in a doorway when the first shot rang out, before making a run for it.
Police will no doubt be desperate to identify this key witness.
Where is the killer and why is it taking cops five days to find him?
The killer was seen wearing a mask in a taxi following the shooting
Minutes after attacking Thompson, the killer was seen entering Central Park on a bike at the 60th Street and Center Drive entrance. It’s in the park and away from security cameras that police believe he discards a gray backpack.
Just before 7am on December 4, the killer left the park at West 77th Street and Central Park West, still on the bicycle, before passing another camera on 85th Street and Columbus Avenue.
Just two minutes later he was seen at 86th street, this time without the bicycle. There, he gets into a taxi and heads northbound at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
Half an hour later, he is spotted at the bus terminal near George Washington bridge.
The travel hub offers train rides to New Jersey and Greyhound routes to Philadelphia, Boston and Washington.
From there, his route is unknown, and cops are still searching for him five days on from the killing.