Police have revealed the surprising contents of a bag believed to belong to the gunman who shot dead UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel in New York earlier this week.
New York Police Department detectives found a grey backpack hidden among the bushes in Central Park on Friday, December 6, which may belong to the killer who is yet to be apprehended.
The bag, which appears to match the bag being worn by the gunman in CCTV footage before the shooting, contained Monopoly money as well as a jacket, according to New York Post sources.
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Former Washington DC homicide detective Ted Williams said the Monopoly money will have been intentionally planted in the bag to 'play games with the authorities' as part of a 'cat and mouse game.'
He said: "This killer knew they would more likely than not find the backpack, and he is leaving breadcrumbs to let the authorities know that he is in control, not them."
It has now been sent for forensic testing to see if any prints or DNA can be obtained in a bid to discover the identity of the killer.
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Retired FBI agent Scott Duffey told Fox News: "It's a process for hair, fibers and DNA. 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."
Police believe the man may have already fled the city following the 'brazen, targeted attack' which took place on Wednesday morning (December 4).
The 50-year-old CEO was shot twice, in the back and in the leg, in broad daylight after leaving his hotel to attend an investor event he was due to speak at. Bullets found near his body had the words 'delay,' 'depose' and 'deny' embossed on them, believed to be a reference to terms used by UnitedHealth when denying health insurance claims.
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NYPD chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny has shared the lengths they are going to in a bid to track down the killer.
"This isn’t Blue Bloods. We’re not going to solve this in 60 minutes," he said on Friday.
"We’re painstakingly going through every bit of evidence that we can come across."
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police say they believe the suspect acted alone.
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In the meantime, hundreds of detectives are combing through video recordings and social media, vetting tips from the public and interviewing people who might have information, including Thompson’s family and co-workers and the gunman’s randomly assigned roommates at the Manhattan hostel where he stayed.
Emma Rosemurgey