DNA evidence tied to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been sent to the forensics lab for testing, experts have claimed.
Cops are continuing to hunt for clues relating to the shooting death of the health boss, who was gunned down outside a hotel in New York City on Wednesday morning.
It isn’t clear where the DNA evidence was recovered from, but it comes after investigators on Thursday searched a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side where the suspected killer is believed to have stayed before the shooting.
New video shows the suspect ditching an item just before the murder.
The breakthrough follows another lead in the case after reports claimed the gunman arrived in New York last month via a Greyhound bus from Atlanta, Fox News reports.
He is seen on security footage getting off the bus at Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal on November 24.
“We are fully cooperating with authorities on this active investigation,” a Greyhound spokesperson told The U.S. Sun.
“As it is ongoing, we cannot provide further comment at this time.”
A burner phone dropped by the suspect was found in an alley close to the New York Hilton Midtown, where Thompson was shot as he arrived for an investor’s conference.
As the search for the killer enters its third day, police still have not released a name for the suspect.
However, cops have likely “already identified” the gunman, a former New York police detective has claimed.
What we know…
Former NYPD Lt. Darrin Porcher told Fox Business the force probably already had a name, as he talked about the “uncommon” firearm believed to have been used by the killer.
The shooting took place outside the hotel on West 54th Street, in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.
Afterward, the gunman fled down an alleyway onto West 55th Street before he was seen heading left on Avenue of the Americas on a bike.
He was last spotted riding into Central Park, where surveillance camera coverage is spottier.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows the suspect leaving Central Park without the backpack.
Cops carried out an extensive search of the park on Thursday, but still haven’t found it.
Before the shooting, the killer visited a Starbucks on West 56th Street, where he bought a coffee, a water, and two energy bars, paying in cash.
The water bottle was left at the Starbucks, and police say DNA from it is being used to build a suspect profile.
On Thursday, a picture of a hooded man smiling was released by the NYPD, describing him as a “person of interest wanted for questioning.”
He wore the mask for most of the time he was in the hostel, but reportedly lowered it after a female employee flirted with him.
BRIAN Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, has been shot to death, and a desperate search is underway for his killer.
Here is everything we know about Thompson’s murder so far.
December 2 – Thompson travels from his home in Minnesota to New York City for an investor conference in Midtown Manhattan.
December 4, 6:45 am – Thompson walks from his hotel across the street to the New York Hilton Midtown and is murdered by a masked shooter. The execution was caught on surveillance, and the suspect was seen biking away toward Central Park. Cops spark a citywide search for the assassin.
December 4, later that morning – News broke the shooting victim was Thompson, who was the CEO of America’s largest private healthcare provider. Cops released disturbing images of the execution, offered a reward for information, and made a desperate plea for New Yorkers to keep their eyes out.
December 4, afternoon – Thompson’s estranged wife Paulette revealed her husband had been threatened before he was shot.
December 4, afternoon – Cops released more eerie images of the suspect ordering at Starbucks that partially revealed his face. The U.S. Sun confirmed the coffee shop was just two blocks away from the shooting, but it’s unclear when he stopped by.
December 5, morning – Reports claim the words “deny,” “dispose,” and “defend” were engraved on live rounds and shell casings left behind by the assassin. These words echo the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which is about the failings of the healthcare industry. The author of the book had no comment on the reports.
December 5, morning – Cops raid a hostel in the Upper West Side of New York City where the suspect is said to have stayed. It’s believed he wore a mask for most of the time he was there.
December 5, morning – A person of interest in Thompson’s murder is pictured. He’s wearing a hood in the photo, but his full face could be seen breaking into a beaming grin. Still, no arrests have been made in the investigation.
December 5, afternoon – Law enforcement confirms the suspect arrived in New York City on a Greyhound bus on November 27. It’s also confirmed that the suspect dropped a burner cell phone near the scene of the shooting.
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