Police say they have recovered the backpack belonging to the Midtown assassin who executed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after retracing his steps leading up to Wednesday’s shocking killing.
The NYPD now believes the hooded killer fled the Big Apple via a bus out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal. While police say they have still yet to identify or locate the gunman, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny says detectives have been able to track his moments from the moment he arrived in Manhattan at the terminal via a Greyhound bus on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 10:11 p.m.
Police say they are still determining what stop he got on. The killer apparently did not use an ID to purchase the bus ticket, and the passenger manifest may contain other alias from other riders.
What cops do know is that the assassin arrived Sunday night at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, then hopped in a cab for a ride to a hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave., where he stayed.
Five days after his arrival, on Nov. 29, detectives believe the suspect checked out of the hostel, though he checked back in the following day, according to hostel records.
A careful stay at hostel
While staying at the hostel, Kenny stated, the perpetrator was careful to keep his mask on during his stay, even while eating, while sharing a space with strangers. The only time he appeared to slip up, Kenny said, was when the perpetrator pulled down his mask while flirting with a female receptionist to flash her a smile.
Security cameras inside the hostel caught that moment, which police obtained and released as part of its investigation. While online debate persists over whether it is the same man depicted in earlier footage, Kenny is confident the suspect is the assassin behind Thompson’s death.
“You have to remember, I look at video of police officers at night time, and it appears they’re wearing white shirts when they’re wearing blue. It all depends on the camera, you know, the technology that they’re using,” the chief said Friday. “But we firmly believe that every picture that we’ve provided to the media is in fact, our shooter.”
Timeline of the murder
Surveillance footage shows the suspect leaving the hotel at about 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, on a bicycle. About 11 minutes later, at 5:41 a.m., security footage taken at the time shows the suspect outside the Hilton Hotel wandering around that vicinity.
Cameras caught the suspect pacing back and forth before he entered a nearby Starbucks, where he purchased a water bottle and an energy bar.
Nearly an hour later, at 6:44 a.m., the hit took place. Video footage shortly after Thompson was gunned down shows his assassin entering Central Park near 60th Street, then exiting the park on Central Park West at about 6:56 a.m.
Two minutes later, cameras caught the assassin riding the bike near the corner of 85th Street and Columbus Avenue. Around 7 a.m., the suspect was spotted walking northbound near 86th Street, this time without the bicycle.
At 7:04 a.m., cops said, cameras catch the suspect heading into a taxi cab on 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. About 30 minutes later, at 7:30 a.m., the perpetrator is seen heading toward the George Washington Bridge near the Port Authority Bus Terminal. From the terminal, it’s believed the assassin fled out of town.
‘Every asset available for this case’
On Friday evening, police reported that they located a backpack believed to have belonged to the assassin lying between boulders just south of the Central Park Carousel. Law enforcement sources have not indicated what, if anything, was inside.
Kenny explained on Dec. 6 that the NYPD has had hundreds of officers and detectives deployed across Manhattan looking for evidence related to the assassination, including the suspect’s bike and handgun — both of which have not yet been found.
“We have hundreds of detectives working on, detectives on the video, on everything, on all, every asset the detective bureau is available for this case,” Chief Kenny said.
Despite using all technology available to them, they have yet to identify the killer. Police recovered both a fingerprint and DNA. While the DNA is still being processed, the fingerprint was not usable.
While not officially classifying the firearm used, Kenny is also looking into the possibility it could have been a gun used by veterinarians to euthanize livestock.
“It’s a weapon commonly used on farms and ranches. If an animal has to get put down, the animal can be shot without causing a loud noise,” Kenny said. “It could be similar in size and stature, but it also could be just a large caliber handgun.”
Kenny also confirmed that the shell casings found outside of the Hilton Hotel had single words written on them in a sharpie marker. The words “Depose” “Delay” and “Deny” were each written on the bullets.
This gives a connection to a 2010 book of the same name that scrutinizes the healthcare industry for denying medical service for customers, leading police to believe the killer is either a disgruntled employee or customer.
Still, cops are not ruling out the possibility that the assassin was hired by someone to carry out the deadly attack.
Kenny said they are taking their time with the case to ensure all accurate evidence is collected and connected to the killer.
“We’re painstakingly going through every bit of evidence that we can come across. Eventually, when an apprehension is made, we will have to present all these facts to a judge and jury. So we’re taking our time. We’re doing it right. We’re making sure we’re going to get justice for this victim and closure for his family,” Chief Kenny said.
