DNA test results linked to the investigation of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder may be just days away. Sources revealed DNA samples are being analyzed from a water bottle believed to have been discarded by the gunman while fleeing the scene outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown. Bullets recovered at the scene are also being tested.
Investigators are also processing a Starbucks coffee cup that the suspect bought is being used for DNA evidence. It remains unclear whether the DNA tests will identify Thompson’s killer. However, the results could match a profile in law enforcement databases or verify the identity of a suspect if one is detained in the future.
DNA Match Being Tried
NYPD
The search for the masked gunman, now in its third day as of Friday, has involved investigators retracing his steps across New York City, starting from his apparent arrival at Port Authority on a bus from Atlanta on November 24.
Law enforcement, including the NYPD and FBI, have meticulously searched locations confirmed to have been visited by the suspect, collecting DNA and fingerprint evidence. This includes a hostel room on the Upper West Side where he is known to have stayed, according to sources, who spoke to the New York Post.
The gunman left behind a tantalizing trail of evidence at the crime scene, according to sources.
Police found three live 9mm rounds and three spent shell casings at the location, where the shooter deliberately targeted Thompson in the back and leg.
Minutes before the shooting, the suspect was captured on video buying two water bottles and PowerBars from a Starbucks nearby, sources revealed.
Shooter Left too Many Evidences
X
Investigators suspect the shooter left behind one of the water bottles, along with a burner phone, as he fled through the Ziegfeld alleyway between West 54th and 55th streets, before escaping on an e-bike.
Sources have revealed that fingerprints were recovered during the investigation, but it remains unclear whether they belong to the shooter or will aid in identifying him.
The search also includes an extensive review of video footage, which has been crucial in tracking the suspect’s movements throughout the city both before and after he calmly shot Thompson early Wednesday.
NYPD officers have conducted searches not only at the hostel but also through Central Park in an attempt to find the killer’s gun and unique gray backpack.
The suspect was seen wearing the backpack while fleeing the scene on an electric bike, but video footage shows he no longer had it when he exited the park at West 77th Street, according to sources.
As of Friday, the bike had still not been found, sources added.
