After Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare was murdered in Manhattan and a manhunt gripped the city, the New York Police Department likely employed a multi-pronged strategy in its efforts to find the killer and his motive, officials said. former law enforcement officers at Fox News Digital.

In an ambush captured on surveillance video, a gunman dressed head-to-toe in black and covering his face pointed a pistol with a silencer at Thompson at 6:46 a.m. Wednesday outside the Midtown Hilton hotel and shot the executive three times.

Among the clues investigators examined were a phone dropped in the driveway that the shooter used to flee the scene, from which the New York Police extracted fingerprints and were looking for data; a bottle of water left at a Starbucks near the murder site, which the suspect paid for in cash; the words “deny,” “depose” and “defend” left on shell casings at the scene; and images showing the full face of a person of interest in the case at a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where sources say the killer used a fake ID card and paid for a room in cash the day before filming.

KILLER OF UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO BRIAN THOMPSON USED FALSE ID TO CHECK INTO NYC HOSTEL BEFORE KILLING: SOURCES

A screenshot of surveillance footage released by the New York Police Department shows a person of interest wanted in connection with the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. (NYPD Crime Stoppers)

Several former law enforcement officers told Fox News Digital they were confident the killer would be caught, given the evidence he left behind.

“Law enforcement is obviously reactive on this, (but)…the public should have confidence in this one – the NYPD has some of the most trained investigators…and some of the best technology in the world world…and they have the manpower to dedicate,” Matt Fagiana, a retired police sergeant and law enforcement consultant, told Fox News Digital.

“You can be sure that you have multiple people looking at multiple angles at the same time,” he said. “Multiple people are focused on searching for the individual – multiple simultaneous missions are underway as we speak.”

UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO’S ASSASSIN LEFT A MESSAGE TO ‘MAKE A STATEMENT’ OR ‘THROW THE POLICE’: DETECTIVES

This map depicts the route taken by the suspect in the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Currently, said retired FBI agent Scott Duffey, the New York Police Department has a team searching for more surveillance footage of the attacker that could offer more clues.

“They are trained to know where to look and have the technology to be able to work with a business or a home (with a doorbell camera or security footage) to pull those (images) out of whatever cloud or hardware they have. they have and get them to the police department,” he told Fox News Digital.

Ted Williams, a retired homicide detective based in Washington, D.C., said investigators new York This would involve “watching video feeds before the shooter arrived at the Hilton…and video feeds to try to determine where he is.”

Eventually, Duffey said, “they’ll have video of this guy unmasked and then, with their powers and their surveillance teams and their video experts, they’ll be able to get this guy through a few possible hits – (with ) a blow to the face”. With recognition software, they will be able to put a sort of passport photo or driving license. »

Another facet of the investigation, Duffey said, will take place at Thompson’s home. State of Minnesota.

MANHUNT FOR UNITEDHEALTH CEO SHOOTING SUSPECT ENTERS SECOND DAY AS STARBUCKS TOUR HOLDS REVIEW

This undated photo provided by UnitedHealth Group shows Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group)

“Start with the inner circle,” Duffey said. “This is a police killing that happened in a public neighborhood in one of the greatest cities in the world… (but) if you’re coming forward assuming it’s targeted, you don’t have to worry about all your common thieves, the street thieves who are looking to take advantage of someone… if you are looking at a targeted person, start small, with the family – what is the family situation?

“Victimology” will be conducted on Thompson, Duffey said, with investigators speaking to his family, friends and co-workers with whom he interacts regularly.

“Make a small circle and quickly exclude them from suspects, then start to widen your circle,” Duffey said.

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Thompson’s wife, Pauline Thompson, whose CEO lived separately, previously said her husband was receiving death threats.

“I want to know what that communication looks like, in what form,” Duffey said. “A lot of people in (Thompson’s) position, I imagine, receive a multitude of threats – just like a political figure. You’re going to receive a multitude of threats that can number in the hundreds, if not thousands… (But) you I don’t necessarily want to watch thousands of them…that will lead you down a rabbit hole.”

“You target with ‘do they look like they’re from the same person?’ “The type of communication, what is said, how it is said,” he continued. “(They could) go to a library and use a different IP address…but the message will be very similar. Law enforcement should quickly be able to (determine whether the threats are) consistent with (the incident).”

Forensic evidence collected at the scene could also play a crucial role – Duffey said if the killer’s fingerprints or DNA are already in the national CODIS system of those arrested, he will be identified quickly.

If the case remains unsolved for a period of time, he said, a genealogical DNA profile could be established to try to trace the killer through any relatives who used DNA ancestry services.

Alternatively, the public could help solve the case.

“There will be people who recognize this guy’s facial features,” Duffey said. “Someone will (see photos distributed by the agency) and say ‘oh my God, that’s my brother.'”

The NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward in this case, asking the public to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You can also submit a tip via their website. All calls remain confidential.