The search for Brian Thompson’s killer since the CEO of United Healthcare was ambushed on Wednesday outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan has extended beyond New York City.
PUBLICIDAD
While authorities attempt to identify the suspect, the FBI has offered a reward of $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. This is in addition to a $10,000 reward offered by the New York Police Department (NYPD).
PUBLICIDAD
The assailant used a fake ID and paid in cash during the 10 days he was in the city, reported to journalists on Friday the NYPD Chief of Detectives, Joseph Kenny. He also kept his face covered, except when checking into a hostel. He was captured by some of the thousands of surveillance cameras that cover Manhattan, allowing the police to construct a timeline of his movements.
This is what we know so far about what the NYPD describes as a planned attack.
November 24
10:11 p.m. — The alleged assailant arrives in New York City on a Greyhound bus at the Port Authority terminal. The bus departed from Atlanta and made six or seven stops on the way to New York. The police have been unable to determine where he boarded the bus.
The man then takes a taxi to the Hilton hotel area in downtown Manhattan and stays there for about half an hour.
Around 11:00 p.m. — The man takes a taxi to the HI New York City hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave., where he stays until the morning of the shooting. He presents an identification card that the police believe is fake. Two of his roommates in a shared bunk room never saw his face, according to the police, because he kept his mask on.
When speaking with an employee in the hostel lobby, they briefly lowered their mask and smiled—a moment captured in surveillance footage that has been widely circulated by the police.
November 29
The man registers to check out of the hostel, where guests are automatically checked out if they do not present themselves at reception by a certain time. The police do not believe he stayed elsewhere and returned to the same hostel the next day.
December 4th
Approximately at 5:30 a.m. — The suspect leaves the hostel well before dawn.
5:41 a.m. — Appears on video on 54th Street and Sixth Avenue, walking back and forth in the area of the Hilton Hotel where the parent company of United Healthcare, UnitedHealth Group, is holding its annual investors conference.
The police deduce that he arrived by bicycle to the Hilton because it took him very little time to get there.
"Could he have stolen the bicycle? These are things we are still investigating," emphasized Kenny.
At some point, he went to a nearby Starbucks and bought a bottle of water and at least one energy bar before returning to the hotel.
6:44 a.m. — "Dispara contra Thompson" when the executive arrives alone, on foot, having walked from a hotel across the street. The man flees.
6:48 a.m. — The man enters Central Park on a bicycle through the entrance at 60th Street and Center Drive. It is in the park and away from security cameras where the police believe he gets rid of a gray backpack.
6:56 a.m. — Leaves the park at 77 West Street and Central Park West, still on a bicycle.
6:58 a.m. — Passes by another camera on 85th Street and Columbus Avenue, still on a bicycle.
7:00 a.m. — Seen on 86th Street, no longer with the bicycle.
7:04 a.m. — Gets into a taxi heading north on 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
7:30 a.m. — It's near the George Washington Bridge and the bus terminal there. It offers shuttle service to New Jersey and Greyhound routes to Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington.
After the attack, investigators find the words “delay”, “deny” and “depose” written with permanent marker on the ammunition at the scene. The words mimic a phrase used by critics of the insurance industry.
December 6
Kenny and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch reveal that investigators believe the assailant left New York City by bus. Investigators say he entered the George Washington Bridge Bus Station but have not found video of him leaving or boarding a bus.
“It could possibly be a disgruntled employee, or a disgruntled customer,” Kenny indicated regarding a possible motive in a briefing.
The police find what they say is the man's backpack. Its contents are not disclosed.
December 7
The police continue searching in Central Park; divers are seen scanning a pond. The NYPD releases additional photos showing the suspect next to a taxi and later in the back seat of the vehicle. In both images, he is seen wearing a blue medical-style face mask.
Despite having recovered a fingerprint from the purchase at Starbucks and having sent items for DNA testing, the police have yet to publicly identify the suspect.
December 8
Divers are seen again in a Central Park pond. The police refuse to comment on the investigation.