A retired New York City Police Department (NYPD) Lieutenant and former NYPD commander sheds light on the manhunt for the suspect who shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and what investigators are doing to track him down.
“He’s not a professional, but he’s calculated. He obviously planned this to a very good degree as well. He planned his escape route, he planned everything for that,” Joe Cardinale told Fox News Digital.
Cardinale added that the fact that the killer left the bullets behind and left messages on them, such as “depose,” makes him think it could be someone involved in or at least connected to a civil suit with UnitedHealthcare, causing this is not a coincidence or ‘wrong place’. wrong time” situation.
The words “deny,” “impeach” and “defend” are written on the bullets and casings left by the killer after the shooting.
FBI RELEASES NEW POSTER, PHOTOS OF UNITEDHEALTHCARE’S ASSURED CEO
Joe Cardinale, retired NYPD lieutenant/former commander, tells Fox News Digital the reasons why the NYPD and FBI are withholding details in the manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer. (FBI)
The words could be derived from “Delay. Deny. Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It,” a book published by Jay Feinman in 2010. Fox News Digital was unable to identify Feinman or the publisher. book not reachable, Delden Press, for comment.
“I’m still not convinced that this is someone who happened to be with him that morning. I think he had a good idea of where Mr. Thompson would be at that hour. How did he find out?” knowledge? That is the big million dollar question right now,” Cardinale said. “He leaves these clues, he throws them away, he planned it from the beginning.”
Cardinale said he has seen these types of actions from past criminals, who he says become arrogant and feel like they are “smarter than the police.”
“They want to commit the perfect crime, but they do things to let them know it’s me. I mean, he showed his face, he had to know there was a camera there and he showed his face. Maybe it was just for that flirty moment they discussed. But I even said it was someone I would like to speak to because she actually had a conversation with him, the hostel receptionist,” Cardinale said when speaking about the person in question who showed his face. in a Manhattan hostel lobby.
Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning. (Businesswire | NYPD Crime Stoppers)
Thompson’s wife, Paulette, has also said her husband had received death threats.
“There had been some threats,” Thompson’s wife said NBC News“Actually, I don’t know, a lack of health care coverage? I don’t know the details. All I know is he said there were people threatening him.”
When asked why the NYPD isn’t releasing the message name of the person of interest, Cardinale said the public needs to know and there are certain elements of this case they don’t need to know at this time.
“They give as much as they can without jeopardizing a case that, once caught, must move forward and get a conviction. So they can’t, just to make it known to the public, blow up their business before it’s even formed,” Cardinale said.
He added that authorities know the person in question is watching and listening and knows everything that is going on at the moment and is most likely even “fascinated” by all the attention he is receiving.
SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO BRIAN THOMPSON SHOT ON NYC STREET
The nationwide manhunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson entered its fifth day on Sunday. (NYPD)
Cardinal praised the NYPD and the FBI and said they are doing everything right in this investigation and are taking every tip seriously.
“I’m sure tips are coming in because someone, this man’s face, is currently on a national platform across all media, and someone needs to recognize this person, and he (the person of interest) needs to know that. He needs to know he left those clues. And I think if he gets caught, he will make it his moment,” Cardinale said.
The manhunt has now spread across several states and entered its fifth day on Sunday.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The FBI has been released released new images of the person in question on Sunday and is now offering up to $50,000 as a reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS, or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA. Tips can also be submitted on the Crime Stoppers website by visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.com.
Christina Coulter, Christina Shaw and Ashley Papa of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]
