NYC hostel at center of UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting ...

Manhunt in UnitedHealthcare CEO murder leads police to NYC hostel 03:00

NEW YORK -- A New York City hostel is now the focal point of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder investigation. 

That's where the NYPD obtained photos of a person of interest, who let his guard -- and his mask -- down as he talked to a woman working at the front desk. 

A high-ranking source tells CBS News New York police interviewed the woman, and she told officers she asked to "see his pretty smile." 

"They were having a flirtatious moment and he pulls it down and he gives a big smile and that one informal moment between two human beings remains at this moment the most significant clue to date in this whole case," former NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said. 

Sources say the man used a fake New Jersey ID with a phony name to check into the hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Detectives sealed off the room where he was staying and questioned other guests.

"We are fully cooperating with the NYPD and, as this is an active investigation, cannot comment at this time," said a spokesperson for Hi New York Hostel.

Sources: Person of interest arrived in NYC 10 days before shooting

Authorities identified video of the person of interest arriving in New York City on a Greyhound Bus from Atlanta on Nov. 24, ten days before the shooting, a person with knowledge of the investigation said. 

Officials are looking to trace where and when the bus ticket was purchased, and under what name. But one complication is the bus made multiple stops between Atlanta and New York City, and it's not yet clear where person of interest boarded. 

While the NYPD is leading the murder investigation, the case is multistate, meaning it's likely the FBI will become more involved and could possibly take the lead on several elements of the investigation, sources said.

Images of the person of interest have been distributed to dozens of police departments across the country, sources said. 

Timeline of UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter's movements This map shows a timeline of the deadly shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024 in New York City.  CBS News

Police are still piecing together a timeline of the gunman's steps. Video shows him walking out of a Midtown subway station at 6:15 a.m. Wednesday, half an hour before the shooting. 

Minutes later, he shows up at a nearby Starbucks, two blocks from the Hilton hotel. 

Sources tell CBS News police believe the suspect bought a drink and a protein bar, paying in cash. The NYPD is now running forensic tests on a discarded coffee cup. 

Then around 6:30 a.m., surveillance video obtained by The New York Times shows the suspect talking on a cellphone while walking toward the hotel.

Sixteen minutes later, Thompson was killed.

"Delay" and "deny" written on bullets Shell casings with the words "Delay" and "Deny" written on them were found at the scene of the deadly shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday. CBS News New York

NYPD sources say the gunman used a B&T STATION SIX gun equipped with a silencer. 

"In all of my years of law enforcement, I have never seen a silencer before. So that was really something that was shocking to us all," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. 

Investigators still have not found two of the most important pieces of evidence -- the gun and the backpack. 

Detectives are investigating whether the words "delay" and "deny," found written in Sharpie on shell casings, shed light on a motive, possibly referencing a book called "Delay, Deny, Defend" that is critical of tactics allegedly used by insurers.  

Investigators are searching Central Park, where they believe the suspect may have dumped his backpack. He was last seen wearing the bag while biking into the park after the shooting. Then 15 minutes later, video shows him biking out of the park without it.

"That backpack could have touched DNA, that backpack could contain clothing, that backpack could contain information or a weapon," CBS News law enforcement contributor and former NYPD Deputy Commissioner Rich Esposito told CBS News New York. "So it's an intense search."

Investigators are also visiting gun dealers in Connecticut, trying to trace where the murder weapon was purchased, and running photos of the person of interest into facial recognition technologies. 

"You can run it against their employee databases, there are databases for criminals, there are military databases, there are many places there are pictures," Esposito said. 

The NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward in the case. Police ask the public to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via their website. All calls are kept confidential.

In: Manhattan Midtown