1/ As a decades-long resident of Midtown Manhattan and former AUSA, here are some thoughts on the difficulty of catching the person who killed UHC CEO Brian Thompson.
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2/ The killer clearly anticipated that his act would be caught on street surveillance cameras. He (presuming a man based upon footage) wore completely generic clothing and shielded his face, hair, ears (those are unique like fingerprints) and hands. No visible tattoos or identifiers.
3/ The killer clearly anticipated that his spent shell casings would be found by law enforcement and closely inspected, hence the messages left behind on them "delay" "deny" & "defend". I would be shocked if those shell casings had any usable prints.
4/ Once the killer got into Central Park (5 blocks from the crime scene), the density of security cameras is much lower. I have walked my dogs in Central Park for 20 years. There are vast swathes where someone can disappear from surveillance. I would be shocked if the killer did not have a . . .
5/ . . . safe spot pre-arranged where he could change out of the clothes he wore for the killing, put on new clothing and then walk out of Central Park with everything in a non-descript duffel bag.
I would be shocked if the killer had not already ditched the weapon at the bottom of the ocean/river.
The kid is smart and apparently he built the gun. In a handgun with a floating barrel (it is), changing the barrel out takes about 90 seconds. He brings a second barrel, throws the original barrel in the water, ballistics don't match, no conviction.
It is strange, super meticulous but then kept the ghost gun (a $300 or so Glock clone) and the fake IDs which he had plenty of time to ditch in various ways.
Defendants are a never ending source of terrible decisions. That weapon should have been tossed into salt water, preferably somewhere deep with strong tides or a current. He should have given the police a puzzled look and declined to answer. He should have lawyered up immediately. The list goes on.
My normal impulse would be to regard speculation about possible mental illness with skepticism, but keeping the weapon on him, despite having every opportunity to dispose of it at his literal leisure, lends it credibility it wouldn't otherwise have.
6/6 The most likely way that the killer will get caught is if the killer talks to anyone about what he did. As I laid out in this thread, the "perfect crime" is still as vulnerable to law enforcement as the weakest link that knows about it.
My spouse had a 27 year career in Brooklyn LAS, and she largely agrees with you with additional thinking that the gun is probably scattered in pieces with the barrel reamed by a steel brush.
Peak bags are pricey, but not luxury. They're also a favorite for photographers and to a lesser extent gun people who talk about "every day carry" gear. They're popular among them because they really cater to people with a need to be meticulously organized, kinda speaking to what Mitchell's outlined
They’re popular in the tech community, I wouldn’t give him a second look. Well, I definitely would because he looks like Adrian Grenier and Timothée Chalamet had a kid, but he doesn’t look out of place.
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I would be shocked if the killer had not already ditched the weapon at the bottom of the ocean/river.
Maybe he thought he'd not be able to purchase/fabricate another with his notoriety?
https://bsky.app/profile/mitchellepner.bsky.social/post/3lckq3su3rs2f
This guy could easily be in San Antonio by now.
https://bsky.app/profile/asrothstein.bsky.social/post/3lcj4rholos2v