KARAH RUCKER: The NYPD shared new photos Thursday of the suspected killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The suspect is still at large after Wednesday morning shooting, and police have launched a city-wide manhunt.

The pictures show the suspect’s face from inside a Starbucks … previous footage showed the man wearing a mask.

Police are tapping into surveillance footage and technology to try to track down the suspect. The NYPD says it’s already traced his escape path.

The shooting occurred in front of the Hilton Hotel on 54th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. From there, the suspect fled north into Central Park … which, despite its heavy surveillance, has multiple blind spots.

Police say the last video they have shows the suspect on a bike, possibly a Citi Bike from New York’s bike-share program. All Citi Bikes require a credit card and are tracked by GPS. Separately, the suspect was spotted on surveillance video carrying an e-bike battery less than two hours before the shooting.

In addition, police found a cell phone at the scene of the shooting, but law enforcement told local TV channel PIX 11 News that they believe it was a burner phone.

The suspect’s motive is not yet clear, but investigators say they found bullet casings with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” written on them.

The words may be a reference to common strategies insurance companies use when trying to deny coverage. They also make up part of the title of a 2010 book by Rutgers Law School professor Jay Feinman, called “Delay Deny Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”

Before his death, Thompson had been serving as CEO of United Healthcare since 2021.

PIX 11 also reports that law enforcement sources say Thompson’s wife told them her husband had been receiving threats related to the company’s denial of coverage.

For Straight Arrow News, I’m Lauren Taylor.

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