CEO Killer's Backpack Held Monopoly Money But No Gun - Police Release New Photo

In a colorful twist in a case playing out like a TV crime drama, the backpack ditched by the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson held Monopoly money and a jacket -- but not the murder weapon.

With no name publicly attached to the suspect's smiling face that was captured by a hostel's camera, police on Saturday issued a new photo of the man, while divers searched a Central Park lake with hopes of finding the unusual murder weapon.  

New York Post)

There's no reporting yet of just how much Monopoly money was in the bag, which was found in a wooded area south of Central Park Carousel near Heckscher Playground, along a route police say the suspect took from the murder scene to a bus station. Some observers conclude the killer was leaving the funny money behind to metaphorically call out health insurers' casual prioritization of profits over the well-being of the people covered by their policies.

It wouldn't be the killer's first time dropping a seeming clue about his motivation: He used a sharpie to write "deny," "defend," and "depose" on shell casings recovered at the scene of the crime. Given the words' similarity to the title of Jay Feinman's book, "Delay Deny Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims And What You Can Do About It," investigators are considering anger against the company's claims practices as a potential motive. Questioning of Thompson's family and associates haven't pointed to any motive springing from his personal life, police say. 

Here's a summary of the book featured on Amazon (an extended summary can be found here): 

"The denial of valid insurance claims is not occasional or accidental or the fault of a few bad employees. It's the result of an increasing and systematic focus on maximizing profits by major companies such as Allstate and State Farm. Citing dozens of stories of victims who were unfairly denied payment, the book explains how people can be more careful when shopping for policies and what to do when pursuing a disputed claim. It also lays out a plan for the legal reforms needed to prevent future abuses."

On Saturday, divers scoured the bottom of a lake near the Central Park Boathouse in hopes of finding the unusual pistol used by the assassin who gunned down the 50-year-old health insurance CEO. As we detailed on Friday, CBS News reported that scrutiny of the video of the shooting has led police to believe the murder weapon could be a B&T Station SIX-9, an unusual weapon which comes equipped with a sound suppressor and retails for around $2,100. While it has roots in covert use, police say it and similar pistols are often used in agricultural settings for quiet euthanasia of animals. 

Daily Mail)

According to a detailed timeline released on Friday, police have determined that the suspect reached an interstate bus station just 46 minutes after pulling the trigger. Video captured him entering the station, but not leaving it, leading detectives to think he quickly hopped a bus bound for Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC or elsewhere.

Via NYPost

Police say he first came to New York City on a Greyhound bus late on the night of Friday, Nov. 24th, immediately taking a cab to the site of the assassination before heading to the HI New York City Hostel on the Upper West Side near Central Park. There, witnesses say, he resolutely avoided speaking to others -- including the strangers he roomed with -- and wore a mask even during meals. However, in an apparent moment of rare weakness, he lowered his mask as he flirted with the hostel's female front-desk attendant, who asked to see his face.     

Police on Saturday released new images of the suspect, including one in which he's leaning forward in a taxi and staring directly into the lens of its dashboard camera. In these latest shots, he's masked.  

Talking to reporters at a Police Athletic League holiday party in Harlem on Saturday, New York Mayor Eric Adams claimed that "the net is tightening" and indicated police have some evidence that hasn't been publicly disclosed. He declined to say if detectives have identified the suspect: 

"We don’t want to release that now. If you do, you are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all. Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask...We revealed his face," he continued, referring to security camera photos and video released after the murder. "We’re going to reveal who he is and we’re going to bring him to justice.” -- New York Post. 

The assassin shot and killed Thompson at 6:44 am on Wednesday, as the 50-year-old insurance executive walked from the Marriott where he spent the previous night to the New York Hilton Midtown for a UnitedHealthcare investors' meeting. The killer then fled, first on foot, then using an e-bike he rode through Central Park. Police say he entered the park by riding north up 6th Avenue, and then exited the park at West 77th Street -- minus the backpack he wore before and during the killing and as he rolled into the park.

As interest in the murder mystery grows, some New Yorkers took it upon themselves to organize a lookalike contest: 

...while others are producing clothing that glamorizes the killing: