In a chilling turn of events, online sleuths are raising questions about the investigation into the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Their scrutiny focuses on two sets of images released by the NYPD, with many claiming the photos depict entirely different individuals.
The first set of surveillance photos emerged shortly after the Wednesday morning slaying in Midtown Manhattan.
These showed a white male, clad in a hooded black jacket with a grey backpack, his face largely obscured by a black balaclava-style mask. The images were taken near a Starbucks close to the crime scene, as reported by The Daily Mail.
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By Thursday, another set of photos was released, this time taken at an Upper West Side hostel where the suspect reportedly stayed before the murder. These clearer images revealed a grinning man wearing a lighter-colored jacket and a black face mask around his neck, seemingly inconsistent with the earlier photos.
This discrepancy has sparked widespread speculation online.
"Obviously different people—bigger frame. Jacket has no breast pockets. Facial hair is much darker," one commenter noted on X.
Obviously different people, Bigger frame Jacket has no breast pockets Facial hair is much darker pic.twitter.com/M3bb0eu3Zx
— maryella (@yellahorst) December 5, 2024
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Another chimed in, "Different backpack, different jacket, different nose. Great job, boys!"
Different backpack, different jacket, different nose. Great job boys!
— barbarism critic 🙂↔️🇵🇸✨ (@SxarletRed) December 5, 2024
what's up? different jacket, no front pockets, different back pack pic.twitter.com/ygIMJWyHzF
— 𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗭 (@rodriQuez) December 5, 2024
— mofa USA (@mofausa) December 5, 2024
Despite the online uproar, law enforcement experts caution that the suspect likely changed outfits after the attack.
Bullet casings with phrases like "deny," "defend," and "depose" were recovered at the scene, raising further intrigue. The inscriptions mirror themes from Jay M. Feinman’s book Delay, Deny, Defend, which critiques insurance companies’ claims practices.
Thompson, 50, was ambushed while riding an e-bike to an investor conference at the New York Hilton Midtown. The gunman fired multiple rounds, hitting Thompson in the chest and calf. Although the attacker's gun jammed mid-assault, he quickly cleared the obstruction and continued firing before escaping.
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Thompson’s estranged wife revealed he had received threats about coverage disputes ahead of his trip to New York. While he had a security detail for the conference, they were not with him during the ambush.
Investigators have pieced together the suspect’s movements leading up to the attack.
@abcnews The unidentified man suspected of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel remains at large after Wednesday's attack, which was described by police as "brazen, targeted" and "premeditated." The killer entered New York City by bus on Nov. 24, when a surveillance camera at Port Authority Bus Terminal caught his arrival at 9 p.m., law enforcement sources told ABC News. The 10-day period he was in New York City before the shooting is now the focus of investigative efforts. Police are investigating whether the suspect left New York City by bus on Wednesday after the murder. #news #unitedhealthcare
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The man arrived in New York City on November 24 after taking a bus from Atlanta.
He reportedly scouted locations around the city, including the Hilton hotel. Using a fake New Jersey ID and paying in cash, the suspect checked in and out of the Upper West Side hostel multiple times before the murder.
Former FBI agent Robert D’Amico described the gunman as calm and “proficient” but far from a professional hitman.
Authorities have yet to determine a motive, but the brutal murder has reignited public anger over the healthcare industry’s policies, with former customers sharing grievances online about denied claims.
The NYPD has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s capture. As the investigation unfolds, questions surrounding the images and the killer’s identity continue to deepen the mystery.
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Fellow in the smiling photo is not the same person as the on scene shooter photo.
If I were the guy with the dashing smile, and not the guy who shot Brian Thompson, I think I would be a bit reluctant to go down to the local police station to try and clear things up, for fear of what might happen to me.
Huh, his security detail was conspicuously missing during the ambush. Either they were in on the conspiracy or they were trained by the Secret Service.
They have yet to determine motive? He wrote his motive on the bullet casings.
Did he? He’s convinced you to only look in one direction!
How exactly do you arrive in NY, know exactly where your target will be and when without someone feeding you information? I bet his insider trading buddies are breathing a sigh of relief!