Chilling Professionalism of UnitedHealthcare CEO Assassination Sparks Theories Real-Life 'Day of the Jackal' Hitman is For Hire in NYC
Brian Thompson's assassin bares chilling similarities to Eddie Redmayne's Jackal in new crime series.
Dec. 5 2024, Published 10:16 a.m. ET
The chillingly professional killing of a UnitedHealthcare CEO has sparked fears a Jackal-style hitman is on the loose in New York City.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the killer's appearance bears striking similarities to the sniper, played by Eddie Redmayne in Paramount series The Day of the Jackal, causing widespread concern the ruthless murderer could be lurking in plain sight.
Brian Thompson's assassin was captured on CCTV footage with hood covering head while wearing a backpack.
The assassin, who killed Brian Thompson on the streets of Manhattan on Wednesday before he was scheduled to speak at a UnitedHealthCare investor conference in the Hilton, was filmed wearing similar clothes to the Jackal, and means of escape, the use of an e-bike, echo a Jackal-type hit.
A source told RadarOnline.com: “There are some striking similarities between both men.
“Their clothes, ruthlessness and escape methods, it all feels rather familiar.
“And to know that person is still roaming free in New York City is alarming to say the least."
Thompson's widow has revealed the CEO had been receiving chilling threats before his death.
Father-of-two Thompson was a 20-year veteran of UnitedHealthcare, having joined from PWC where he spent seven years as a management consultant.
The 50-year-old worked at the helm of different UHC business segments, including the Medicare division, before becoming CEO of the company worth $610billion and ranked #8 on Fortune’s Global 500 list.
Thompson reportedly made $10 million per year, and had been accused of insider trading in a lawsuit brought by the City of Hollywood Firefighters' Pension Fund which centered on allegations he had made $15.1million by unloading shares before a Department of Justice probe into UnitedHealthcare was announced.
Redmayne plays the role of a sniper in Day of the Jackal, based on the 1971 bestseller about an assassin.
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren had asked the SEC to investigate the claims.
UnitedHealthcare had filed a motion to dismiss the case a week ago, public records show.
New York Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny refused to speculate on Wednesday morning why he could have been targeted.
He said. “The motive for this murder is currently unknown but based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear the victim was specifically targeted.
"But at this point, we do not know why.”
The assassin is still roaming free as cops launch search to identify the killer.
Thompson's widow, Paulette, revealed that her late husband received threats — possibly linked to his role running the giant health care insurance company with 52million customers around the world and 90 percent in the U.S.
She said: "There had been some threats.
"Basically, I don't know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."
It's been speculated the assassin could have been a disgruntled policy-holder enraged over denied claims, an employee nursing a grudge, a corporate rivalry or sabotage.
Experts point to the killer's shooting stance, use of a silencer (which is illegal in New York) and skill clearing his weapon malfunction as potential evidence of an experienced marksman or even a professional.
The assassin dropped vital clues which jar with suspicion he could be a trained killer.
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But detectives seem more inclined to believe that too many mistakes were made for the crime to have been a professional hit.
It's been questioned whether a seasoned assassin would allow his likeness to be captured on Starbucks surveillance photos, drop his phone or leave behind DNA or fingerprints on a water bottle and candy wrapper.
These clues suggest that the killer could have been an amateur driven by rage, revenge or some other motive.
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