Decoding the UnitedHealthcare CEO Killer’s Trail of Cryptic Clues
Posted on 12/09/2024
Since becoming one of the nation’s most wanted people, the assassin who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has left behind a trail of cryptic clues that has at times felt like a storyline straight out of a Batman comic.
But law enforcement experts consulted by the Daily Beast said Sunday that the evidence overwhelmingly points toward a profile of the suspect as a competent—and supremely motivated—killer who intended to convey a larger message with the high-profile murder.
On the morning of Dec. 4 at around 6:40 a.m., a yet-to-be identified suspect shot Thompson outside of the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan, where the longtime healthcare executive was scheduled to attend an investors meeting.
In the hours following the brazen slaying, police reportedly recovered a slew of evidence—including a water bottle left at the scene and CCTV images believed to be of the suspect.
But according to retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer, two clues in particular point to an “individual who’s really trying to make a statement.”
On the night of Dec. 4, it was reported that police found shell casings with the words “deny,” defend,” and “depose” written on them. Then, on the night of Dec. 7, police published a photo of a backpack, believed to be the suspect’s, stuffed withMonopoly money.
“To me, this seems like somebody far beyond just a personal situation that he lost a family member or a loved one due to lack of being insured,” Coffindaffer told the Daily Beast Sunday. “This seems much larger, like a vigilante, somebody who is well prepared to make a big statement and that he blames UnitedHealthcare in this situation.”
Coffindaffer’s hunches were echoed by forensic psychiatrist and expert witness Dr. Carole Lieberman, who believes that the suspect’s shell casings—which seemingly allude to the title of a 2010 book that unpacks common healthcare insurance practices—and the monopoly money were both left intentionally and “meant to send a message.”
“The monopoly money conveys messages, both that UnitedHealthcare is a ripoff that steals money from patients in order to pay its executives millions, and that it is itself a monopoly,” Dr. Lieberman told the Beast. “He may have planned to scatter the monopoly money around the CEO’s body after he shot him, but he forgot to take the bills out of his backpack.”
Coffindaffer, however, had a different theory about one of the shell casings in particular.
“With ‘depose,’ I think a lot of people thought that that might be a legal term for a deposition. But I don’t think so,” Coffindaffer explained. “If you look at the number one definition according to the dictionary, it means to take from office forcefully, and that’s what he did.”
When asked if the suspect is purposefully playing with the police, Coffindaffer replied that it’s likely.
“This is a sign of somebody that is truly narcissistic in nature,” she added. “They’re just trying to really make themselves stand out as this intelligent, smarter than police type figure. That’s the motivation here, more than the messaging.”
The timing itself was interesting, Coffindaffer said. The grisly killing was carried out just a week after Thanksgiving—and would have required intensive planning during a holiday season in which family and friends may have noticed the suspect’s conspicuous absence.
Police believe the killer traveled to New York and spent a full 10 days—including Thanksgiving—at a hostel in Manhattan.
“I think he would have practiced. He would have done the route. He knew exactly what he wanted to do,” Coffindaffer said. “I’m wondering what family might not be noticing that their loved one was gone.
“I just found the timing very interesting.”
As the investigation stretches into its fifth day, police have yet to identify the suspect but have been able to track some of his movements, placing him at an uptown bus terminal where he’s believed to have fled from New York.
Law enforcement have also told NBC News that the police department’s scuba team is searching Central Park’s waters after the suspect fled to the area immediately following the shooting. A bag presumed to be the killer’s was also found there on Friday.
“Let him continue to believe he can hide behind a mask,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Saturday. “We’re going to reveal who he is, and we’re going to bring him to justice.”
But law enforcement experts consulted by the Daily Beast said Sunday that the evidence overwhelmingly points toward a profile of the suspect as a competent—and supremely motivated—killer who intended to convey a larger message with the high-profile murder.
On the morning of Dec. 4 at around 6:40 a.m., a yet-to-be identified suspect shot Thompson outside of the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan, where the longtime healthcare executive was scheduled to attend an investors meeting.
In the hours following the brazen slaying, police reportedly recovered a slew of evidence—including a water bottle left at the scene and CCTV images believed to be of the suspect.
But according to retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer, two clues in particular point to an “individual who’s really trying to make a statement.”
On the night of Dec. 4, it was reported that police found shell casings with the words “deny,” defend,” and “depose” written on them. Then, on the night of Dec. 7, police published a photo of a backpack, believed to be the suspect’s, stuffed withMonopoly money.
“To me, this seems like somebody far beyond just a personal situation that he lost a family member or a loved one due to lack of being insured,” Coffindaffer told the Daily Beast Sunday. “This seems much larger, like a vigilante, somebody who is well prepared to make a big statement and that he blames UnitedHealthcare in this situation.”
Coffindaffer’s hunches were echoed by forensic psychiatrist and expert witness Dr. Carole Lieberman, who believes that the suspect’s shell casings—which seemingly allude to the title of a 2010 book that unpacks common healthcare insurance practices—and the monopoly money were both left intentionally and “meant to send a message.”
“The monopoly money conveys messages, both that UnitedHealthcare is a ripoff that steals money from patients in order to pay its executives millions, and that it is itself a monopoly,” Dr. Lieberman told the Beast. “He may have planned to scatter the monopoly money around the CEO’s body after he shot him, but he forgot to take the bills out of his backpack.”
Coffindaffer, however, had a different theory about one of the shell casings in particular.
“With ‘depose,’ I think a lot of people thought that that might be a legal term for a deposition. But I don’t think so,” Coffindaffer explained. “If you look at the number one definition according to the dictionary, it means to take from office forcefully, and that’s what he did.”
When asked if the suspect is purposefully playing with the police, Coffindaffer replied that it’s likely.
“This is a sign of somebody that is truly narcissistic in nature,” she added. “They’re just trying to really make themselves stand out as this intelligent, smarter than police type figure. That’s the motivation here, more than the messaging.”
The timing itself was interesting, Coffindaffer said. The grisly killing was carried out just a week after Thanksgiving—and would have required intensive planning during a holiday season in which family and friends may have noticed the suspect’s conspicuous absence.
Police believe the killer traveled to New York and spent a full 10 days—including Thanksgiving—at a hostel in Manhattan.
“I think he would have practiced. He would have done the route. He knew exactly what he wanted to do,” Coffindaffer said. “I’m wondering what family might not be noticing that their loved one was gone.
“I just found the timing very interesting.”
As the investigation stretches into its fifth day, police have yet to identify the suspect but have been able to track some of his movements, placing him at an uptown bus terminal where he’s believed to have fled from New York.
Law enforcement have also told NBC News that the police department’s scuba team is searching Central Park’s waters after the suspect fled to the area immediately following the shooting. A bag presumed to be the killer’s was also found there on Friday.
“Let him continue to believe he can hide behind a mask,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Saturday. “We’re going to reveal who he is, and we’re going to bring him to justice.”
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