Retired NYPD Lt. Describes Person of Interest in UnitedHealthcare CEO Assassination as 'Fascinated' by Attention

A former NYPD Lieutenant and commander is sharing insights on the search for the suspect who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and how investigators are tracking him down.

Joe Cardinale told Planet Chronicle Digital that although he is not a professional, he is calculated and planned his escape route and everything prior to it to a very good degree.

The fact that the killer left behind messages on the bullets, such as "depose," leads Cardinale to believe that this was not a random act and could be connected to a civil suit involving UnitedHealthcare, making it less likely a coincidence or "wrong place, wrong time" scenario.

The assassin's live rounds and casings bore the words "deny," "depose," and "defend."

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"Cardinale stated, "I am not convinced that this person was simply present on him at that time. I believe he had intimate knowledge of Mr. Thompson's location at that hour. The question now is how did he obtain that knowledge? This is a million-dollar question.""

Cardinale stated that he has observed similar behaviors from previous offenders who, in his opinion, become overconfident and believe they are "more intelligent than the law enforcement."

Cardinale stated that the person of interest had shown his face in a Manhattan hostel lobby, which could have been an intentional act to reveal his identity. However, it's possible that he did it for a flirtatious moment during a conversation with the clerk at the hostel. Cardinale added that he had spoken to the person of interest and found him to be someone he would like to speak to further because of the clerk's conversation with him.

Paulette, Thompson's wife, stated that he had been receiving death threats.

"Thompson's wife informed NBC News that he had received threats."

Cardinale stated that the public only needs to know certain elements of the case and that the NYPD is not releasing the name of the person of interest due to this need to know basis.

Cardinale stated that they cannot compromise a case that needs to be proven, even if it means not revealing any information to the public.

The person of interest is being watched and listened to by the authorities, who are likely fascinated by the attention he's receiving.

The NYPD and FBI are being commended by Cardinale for their actions in this investigation, as they are taking all tips seriously and following proper procedures.

Cardinale stated that he was confident that tips would be coming in because the man's face was currently being featured on a nationwide platform through all the media. Someone had to recognize this individual, and the person of interest had to know that he had left clues. Cardinale believed that it would be when the individual was caught that he would make it his moment in the sun.

The manhunt, which began in one state, has now expanded to several others and is currently in its fifth day on Sunday.

On Sunday, the FBI released new images of the person of interest and is now offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the suspect's arrest.

Anyone with information about a crime is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA. Tips can also be submitted online through the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.com.

This report was contributed to by Christina Coulter, Christina Shaw, and Ashley Papa of Planet Chronicle Digital.

Stepheny Price is a writer for Planet Chronicle Digital and Fox Business. If you have story tips or ideas, you can send them to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).