this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2024
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Summary

Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot in a premeditated attack outside the New York Hilton Midtown before speaking at an investor conference.

The gunman, still at large, fired multiple times, leaving shell casings marked with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose.”

Authorities suggest Thompson was targeted but remain unclear on the motive. His wife confirmed prior threats against him.

Analysts speculate a possible vendetta tied to his company. The case raises questions about executive security, as Thompson lacked personal protection despite known risks.

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[–] [email protected] 279 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

"The motive remains unclear" is one of those things that, as a journalist, you know you have to write because it is absolutely the truth, but you hate yourself for every letter of every word because you know how fucking stupid it sounds given the circumstances.

[–] [email protected] 121 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

"I mean, there are millions of people with motive. Which one in particular we will hopefully never know"

[–] [email protected] 29 points 3 weeks ago

I feel like this is going to end like Murder on the Orient Express, where...

Tap for spoiler... it turns out that literally everyone took turns shooting him.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Deny that you know or even saw them. Defend them if they do get caught, through protest, fundraising, bail, etc. Depose those who put them in jail if they are sentenced.

[–] [email protected] 60 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Unless it turns out he was murdered by, for example, an irate shareholder who didn't make the money he wanted to make.

There is more than one reason he could have been murdered.

[–] rumba 29 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Murder bingo, murder scavenger hunt, time traveler trying to stop the future apocalypse no lack of options....

[–] [email protected] -3 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Are you really suggesting that only possible realistic motive to murder him is because of his position at UHC?

I can think of so many plausible scenarios. I just gave you one, here's another: he was cheating on his wife, so she paid to have him killed, something that actually happens in the real world and doesn't involved time travelers.

I'm sure you would like this to be a just world where bad people get killed for good reasons, but that's not how the world works. Hitler's generals tried to assassinate him and it wasn't because they thought he was being too mean to the Jews.

[–] rumba 27 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (11 children)

Are you really suggesting

nope, just toying around with the concept, figured it would be about 3/5 on the joke scale.

edit: Though if you really wanted to get into it, the words scribed on the casings might direct you to a likely solution. *

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

Possible vs Probable.

Lots of things are possible, sure, but his position and impact on people due to his position does make one very probable.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago (10 children)

Obviously there are many plausible scenarios, but one of them scales significantly differently than the others.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Absolutely, hence why they do have to say that the motive is unclear. While we all have strong theories about why this happened, there are plenty of other possibilities that have to be considered. Could have been taken out by his family for insurance money, could have been a business rival, the guy might have gotten in shit with the mob. At this point they just don't know.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

The impression I got from when I lived in the US is that at his level, US oligarchs generally don't like getting their hands dirty and there are strong communal disincentives to disrespecting "honour among thieves" laws. All the oligarchs groups will gang up on you if you use direct violence against another oligarch.

From what I've read, the "mob" in the US largely has no power, definitely nothing on the level of Brian Thompson. Even transnational groups (Mexican cartels, EU gangs, central American gangs) keep a low profile in the US and make a concentrated effort to avoid publicity.

I will admit, family issues is a possibility. Difficult to say. The business rivalry or mob connection doesn't seem even in the realm of possibility, but I could be wrong.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Exactly. We just don't have enough information yet and it is just silly to assume this is some sort of just world where people behind atrocities that are subsequently murdered are murdered because of those atrocities.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

He wrote Deny, defend, depose on the bullets. That's him speaking the language that the insurance industry uses. I would say that broadly, we know his motive. Who the company denied a claim for is the only real question here.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

As I said to someone else, do you really believe this was done by pro-Palestine activists?

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2024/10/free-gaza-messages-found-on-devices-at-burned-ballot-boxes-new-york-times-reports.html

It is silly to make assumptions based on three words. It's especially silly to assume someone isn't smart enough to make police think they're not the guilty party.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

No I don't think it has anything to do with Palestine, and everything to do with this book

https://delaydenydefend.com/

He switched delay to depose to send a clear message to the insurance industry. That message being, "there's a fourth step that you fuckers have forgotten in your three step strategy."

[–] [email protected] -5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Maybe you should have at least read the name of the URL. I didn't say that this has anything to do with Palestine.

Please, if you're not going to read the article, at least read the name of the URL and then respond to me accordingly.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I see what you are asking now. I can absolutely see that could be someone who was pro-palestinian setting ballot boxes on fire. It could be a false flag, but I'm not convinced either way.

This guy didn't have a good familiarity with his weapon. If he had test fired before he killed the CEO, he would have known that the spring on the gun was too strong for the ammo he was carrying and been able to swap one of the two out for a cleaner hit. That fact alone pretty much rules out a hired hitman. I'm no hitman, and I have much better familiarity with all my weapons than this guy seems to have had with his.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

You can hire someone who has never fired a gun before in their life to kill someone else. Which is also something that has happened before. People do things like pay their cousins to commit murder. And the person who gets paid can be really, really stupid.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/lynnwood-man-gets-life-sentence-for-botched-murder-for-hire/

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

If that were the case writing the words "deny," "defend," and "depose" on the bullet casings was a pretty stupid move, given that it calls attention to the atrocities said shareholder profits from. It seems most likely that the motive is exactly what the bullet casings suggest.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

Which is exactly why someone would do it to make the police think it wasn't for another reason.

Really, I have no idea why all of you assume a criminal will say, "yep! It's me!"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

For some very weird reason it never crossed my mind, and I really do not know why, that I could invest in a huge healthcare corporation whose target it is to provide as little healthcare as possible. But your comment made me think about that that is possible to do.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

“It is still unclear which of the potential motives caused the man to pull the trigger”

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

“deny,” “defend,” and “depose.”

He literally left the manifesto there and they can't figure it out.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

He left "A" manifesto. I have never dealt with his company,but if I was hired to kill him I would most definately make look like a disgruntled parent if a dead kid or some such.

Hopefully he(another common assumption) never gets caught and we never know.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Nah, that's a cop out. They could absolutely find somebody speculating on the motive to quote if they wanted to.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, just put a random tweet in like they usually do

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

"The motive remains unclear"

Was it him that got denied, or was it a recently deceased family member?

There's several options.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

That seems like terrible wording. Why not just say the motive is unconfirmed with the suspect if that's what's needed to state it as fact?