Monopoly money, no gun found in backpack linked to UnitedHealthcare CEO killer
The New York City Police Department has found a backpack they believe belonged to the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Inside the bag was a jacket and colorful cash from the Monopoly board game.
The backpack was found hidden in a bush in Central Park West on Dec. 6, as per Bloomberg. It looked similar to the one the shooter was wearing, as captured by surveillance cameras. Meanwhile, NBC News disclosed its contents, which did not include a gun.
Retired FBI agent Scott Duffey told Fox News Digital that the bag would be taken to a lab for forensic testing.
"[It's] a process for hair, fibers [and] DNA," he said. "If he holds his hand against the strap and tightens the buckle like most of us do, that is where DNA most likely can be found. And zippers."
Meanwhile, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny described the bag as "very distinctive," according to the New York Post.
Former Washington, D.C. homicide detective Ted Williams, for his part, told Fox News that the Monopoly money found in the backpack is "the killer playing games with the authorities."
On X, the NYPD released photos of a person of interest wanted for questioning. He's pictured wearing a mask and a black hoodie.
🚨UPDATE: Below are photos of a person of interest wanted for questioning regarding the Midtown Manhattan homicide on Dec. 4.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 8, 2024
The full investigative efforts of the NYPD are continuing, and we are asking for the public's help—if you have any information about this case, call the… https://t.co/U4wlUquumf pic.twitter.com/243V0tBZOr
Thompson, the chief of the US' largest health insurance company, was shot and killed outside a New York Hilton hotel in an apparently targeted hit on Dec. 4.
Video footage showed Thompson on a sidewalk outside when the hooded suspect approached him from behind. The shooter fled the scene on foot before getting on a bicycle.
Police have yet to suggest a motive and would not confirm media reports that the words "delay" and "deny" were written on the shell casings found on the scene.
On Dec. 8 (Philippine time), New York mayor Edic Adams said detectives now know the name of the suspect, who is believed to have left New York City.
