UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was separated from his wife for years when he was fatally shot outside a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Thompson and his estranged wife, Paulette, lived in separate homes about a mile from each other, the Wall Street Journal reported. Thompson purchased the $1 million home where Paulette and their 2 sons live in suburban Maple Grove, Minnesota.
Minnesota police investigated a bomb threat at Brian Thompson’s home just 12 hours before he was executed in NYC.
Paulette, a practicing physical therapist, revealed on Wednesday that her husband had previously received threats. When asked about a possible motive, she told a reporter it may have been due to a “lack of [healthcare] coverage.”
Police say the suspect arrived in NYC on a Greyhound bus from Atlanta, Georgia on November 24 around 9 p.m. Investigators are reviewing video surveillance from Greyhound bus stations in Atlanta and NYC.
The suspect used a stolen New Jersey ID to register a room at a NYC hostel on the Upper West Side on Nov. 24. He roomed with 2 other men on the 4th floor, according to reports.
On Thursday, the NYPD released photos of the suspect flirting with a desk clerk in the lobby of the NYC hostel. The desk clerk convinced him to pull down his facemask so she could see his smile.
He checked out of the hostel about an hour before the shooting. Police executed a search warrant in the room at the hostel.
The suspect was seen on surveillance footage outside the hostel around 5 a.m. on Wednesday. He was also seen outside a nearby housing project carrying an e-bike battery.
Video footage shows the suspect exiting the subway and walking toward the Hilton hotel on West 54th Street near the Avenue of the Americas.
He arrived at the location about 10 minutes before the shooting. His movements suggest he knew what time Thompson would arrive at the Hilton and which door he would use.
Thompson was fatally shot outside the Hilton Hotel just after 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday.
The suspect approached Thompson from behind and shot him in the back and leg. The gunman then fled the scene on an e-bike.
Google Maps shows the spot outside the Hilton where Thompson took his last breath.
The NYPD released video that shows the suspect leaving Central Park on a black e-bike just after 7 a.m. Wednesday.
JUST IN: Minnesota police investigated a bomb threat at Brian Thompson’s home just 12 hours before he was executed in NYC.
The development comes as investigators have zeroed in on a gun store in Connecticut where they suspect Thompson’s k*ller purchased the gun.
At the moment,… pic.twitter.com/DjnxsGuGkB
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 5, 2024
Thousands of UHC consumers on social media vented their anger at the insurance giant for denying their claims. A post on a subreddit for doctors on Reddit.com was deleted by moderators due to hundreds of posts celebrating Thompson’s murder.
Some doctors expressed their frustration with UHC for denying claims to maximize profits for the company’s shareholders.
One doctor posted a letter written by an oncologist who was outraged that UnitedHealthcare denied anti-nausea medication for a child receiving chemotherapy to treat cancer.
Former FBI supervisor Robert D’Amico said the motive for Thompson’s murder was likely a personal vendetta against UnitedHealthcare.
UnitedHealth reported a profit of nearly $400 billion in 2023. For 2025, the company expects revenue to be between $450 billion and $455 billion.
Thompson earned $10 million annually as UHC CEO. He received a $20 million bonus in 2023.
Police say the suspect wrote the words “defend,” “deny,” and “depose” on three shell casings left at the scene of the shooting.
The message is similar to a book on insurance companies refusing to pay claims titled, “Delay, Deny, Defend.”
The book’s subtitle is, “Why insurance companies don’t pay claims and what you can do about it.”
The NYPD offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
