The murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City two days ago is a most mysterious story. Everyone has a theory about why a gunman was lying in wait for Thompson, and how he knew where to find the CEO. Perhaps the most incomprehensible feature of the story is that this masked, hooded killer managed to melt away like a phantom after committing the crime. New York City is riddled with surveillance cameras.  As I write, the gunman has not been found and there is a major manhunt on for him.

We don’t deal with the modern world on Old Spirituals, but this murder has brought up certain enduring questions related to true crime.

For instance, Brian Thompson was said to have received death threats. This brings up an interesting question. Why do criminals communicate with someone they intend to harm? We’ve covered many anonymous letter cases: Harriet Jones of Berwick, Pennsylvania and Lillian Hawkins in Ashtabula, Ohio are two notable examples. Poison pen writers have different motives, but jealousy is usually a factor. More recently, we talked about the case of Dorothy Mort, who repeatedly wrote to her victim’s mother.

But what is the purpose of making a death threat? Why should anyone who is planning a murder send a death threat to their intended victim and put them on guard? I’ll see if I can find some cases that we can look into involving death threats.

Another question the current case raises is about manhunts. Of all the manhunts I’ve ever heard or written about, the only one I can think of where the perpetrator successfully eluded police is D.B. Cooper, the skyjacker.  Or, depending on what you believe, John Wilkes Booth.

Incidentally, there are quite a few parallels between Booth’s crime and escape and the murder of Brian Thompson and the gunman’s subsequent getaway. Some examples are that both crimes involved an assassination of a powerful man in a public place, followed by a carefully planned getaway out of a city where everyone was on the lookout for the perpetrator. Both men made several mistakes before successfully escaping using multiple means of transportation.

Most manhunts end in the capture of the suspect, including the cases of Millard Lee and Dave Edwards in Grievous Deeds.

Just for fun, I found an article about a 1904 manhunt. I didn’t do any research on the murder Edward Donahue committed or the outcome of the manhunt but if you’re interested in his story, let me know in the comments, and I’ll find out more!

This story comes to us via the October 17, 1904 edition of the Pittsburg Post.

“I will never be caught alive. I will fight until my last drop of blood is gone. I must fight from now on to live, and nothing would please me better than to kill a few of the officers who are go anxious to capture me and receive the $500 reward!”

These were the parting words of Edward Donahue, who on October 2 murdered A. M. Northrup, of Benton Harbor, at Millers Station, Ind., and for whom the greatest man-hunt ever known in Southern Michigan is now on.

After several days wandering, covering 100 miles, several counties of Indiana and this state, the fugitive is still at large. But his capture seems a question of only a few hours.

A Desperate Man

He is recognized, however, as one of the most desperate criminals in Michigan and bloodshed is expected to precede his arrest.

On the Thursday following the murder Donahue read the story of the reward for his capture in a newspaper at the home of his sister in Kalamazoo, and after making the above declaration rushed into a nearby woods closely followed by a posse of officers.

He was next seen near Grand Junction, 11 miles east of this city. Aided by the heavy underbrush, ravines and almost impassable lowlands. Donahue escaped from the woods during the night through a swamp.

This was the last seen of him until he appeared at tha barn of Charles Converse, a farmer, livIng four miles southeast of this eity.

Chase on Horseback

Awakened at daylight this morning by a noise in his barn, Converse rushed from his house just in time to see Donahue mounted on one of his horses galloping away. Five minutes later Converse, only partly clad, mounted another horse and started in pursuit.

Converse was gaining steadily, and as a last resort the murderer rode up to a fence and sprang from the horse over the fence into a field and ran across to another piece of woods and swamp. Converse, not knowing Donahue was wanted for murder, after recovering his horse. returned to this city and notified the police by telephone of the attempt at horse stealing.

Must Be Taken

A few minutes later the waterworks whistle was blown, which informed the citizens of South Haven that Donahue had invaded this territory. Chief of Police MeGregor went to the place where Donahue was last seen, and was there joined in the chase by hundreds of armed farmers.

Sheriff Collins declares Donahue must he taken dead or alive, but has instructed citizens taking part in the chase not to engage the murderer while alone, but to discharge a gun as a signal and help will be sent.

What are your thoughts on these matters?

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