NEW YORK — The NYPD searched the lake in Central Park again Sunday, hoping to recover evidence linked to last week’s murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan.
As the manhunt for the gunman continues, officials said on Sunday they’re widening their search.
NYPD Crime Stoppers
Police sources say investigators with the NYPD and U.S. Marshals Service have been dispatched to Atlanta and along the Greyhound bus route stops between Atlanta and New York City. They want to find out where the person of interest boarded the bus that took him to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Nov. 24. They are also canvassing the Greyhound terminals and reviewing surveillance footage in an effort to pin down at what point he boarded the bus.
The latest images released of the person of interest show him in the back seat of a taxi and another just outside of the cab, both with his mask on. The FBI released a poster highlighting a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
“The net is tightening and we’re going to bring this person to justice,” Mayor Eric Adams said.
NYPD
The only images believed to be of the person of interest without a mask were captured on surveillance cameras from inside an Upper West Side hostel, where police sources say he had a flirtatious encounter with the front desk employee.
“The event was obviously well planned out, but everyone makes mistakes and I think his mistake was probably putting his mask down so the whole world can see who he is,” retired police officer Tom Walsh said.
NYPD divers return to Central Park lake on Sunday
NYPD divers searched Central Park’s lake on Sunday after sources told CBS News New York that Saturday’s search was unsuccessful.
A woman told CBS News New York she saw the dive teams in the lake on Saturday, but didn’t see them come out with anything.
“This corner was blocked off with probably five policemen, one van and we saw scuba gear and a couple divers getting in, just kind of splashing around, looking in this area,” the witness said.
The latest on the backpack found in the park
On Friday, investigators found what is believed to be the person of interest’s backpack. It contained a jacket that he did not wear on Wednesday, the day of what officials have called the targeted shooting of Thompson, and some fake Monopoly money, but no gun, sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News. That area of the park is still blocked off by police tape.
The weapon used to kill Thompson is critical to the investigation because with it police can find out where it was purchased and who owned it. Police said the lack of concrete evidence is why they continue to call the man they are looking for a person of interest.
“They found the backpack here in Central Park, so it only make sense that that’s a good dumping ground for a gun,” Walsh said.
Forensic testing results on the backpack still need to come in before determining whether it’s linked to the shooter.
Law enforcement knows the name of the person of interest
The mayor said on Saturday that law enforcement knows who they are looking for, but don’t want to tip him off by announcing his name prematurely.
“We don’t want to release that now. If you do, you are basically giving a tip to the person we are find … we’re seeking, and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all. Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask,” Adams said.
