Who is the man who killed Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, on a Manhattan street last week? We don’t know his name, but we know his face, and we may know his motive.
According to a Daily Beast report on Monday, a profile of the suspect has begun to emerge. Law enforcement experts have described the killer as “a competent—and supremely motivated—killer who intended to convey a larger message with the high-profile murder.”
Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told the publication that “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… 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 also believes that the killer is “truly narcissistic in nature.”
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
“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.”
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. https://t.co/1lwkN5geOu
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) December 9, 2024
Another expert quoted by the outlet, Dr. Carole Lieberman, agreed, referencing specific clues that the killer left behind.
“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,” the expert told The Daily 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.”
Also over the weekend, The New York Times noted that quite a few people, especially online, appear to be rooting for the shooter, even treating him as a “folk hero.” It event noted that some have been leaving bad reviews online for the hostel where the shooter is through to have stayed, because they cooperated with the police investigation.
“While high-profile crimes have in recent years mobilized internet sleuths hellbent on finding answers, civilian efforts to find Mr. Thompson’s killer have appeared muted,” the Times said. “Instead, the executive’s killing has released a tide of online frustration toward the health insurance industry, with some people even voicing their support for the gunman.”
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
