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CNN’s self-asserted desire for facts took a back seat on Friday’s Inside Politics in favor of wild speculation as former Maryland State Police Commander Neill Franklin joined host Dana Bash to raise the possibility that United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson “orchestrated” his own assassination.

Given the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” were found on the bullet casings, most people have assumed that the suspect’s motive must have been either a disgruntled customer or someone with a political ax to grind against private health insurance or perhaps both. To that end, Bash began, “Major Franklin, the motive. That is still not really known. We have some clues, like what was written on those shell casings.”

Franklin concurred but warned, “That’s, you know, in a sense, leading people initially to that being the motive. But you also know criminal investigators have to think of everything. Could that be a diversion?”

After Franklin considered other possibilities, such as a family member, Bash wondered, “So, when you say that, obviously, to talk to his family, you have to know who he is. DNA evidence is important for— I mean, first and foremost that, but also ultimately for a trial, as Shimon was saying. Do you think that they know who he is? You think that they have his identity?”

Franklin thought the odds of that were “very good,” but added, “I want to say something else that I know these criminal investigators are looking into as it relates to motive. There have been times when people have orchestrated their own demise for certain reasons.”

A clearly surprised Bash interjected with a “Whoa,” as Franklin continued, “We know that there was some—yeah, I’m not saying this is the case, but as an investigator—”

Bash wondered if that would be “like for insurance purposes,” and while Franklin agreed that was possible, he also suggested Thompson may have wanted to cover something up, “Absolutely, insurance purposes. You know, maybe they fear some type of investigation down the road. Maybe they want to leave their family in a good light. But there have been cases where people have orchestrated their own demise and here’s another reason—

Perhaps still a little shocked, Bash sought to clarify, “And just to say, you’re saying in a nice language. You’re saying—you’re saying that it is a possibility that he hired somebody to kill him.”

 Franklin doubled down, “Absolutely, it cannot be ignored. My, and this is what is really digging at me, as a former criminal investigator, this guy knew too much about where he was going to be at a specific time. There’s no evidence that I’ve seen of him. When you look at the timeline of him coming to that area outside of the Hilton, and where he was outside of the Hilton. It’s a very small window, very small window. It’s not like he was roaming around. We have video of him roaming around, going from one door to the next to the next, trying to figure out where he’s going to be at a specific time.”

Bash added, “He knew,” as Franklin continued, “He was there. He was lying in wait. Who would have that specific type of information as to what sidewalk he was going to be on?”

Thompson was heading across the street for a publicly-publicized annual investors conference. It is also odd that Franklin would say, “It’s not like he was roaming around” when CNN’s website quotes NYPD chief of detectives Joseph Kenny as saying, “We have him wandering around, walking in the vicinity of hotel.”

Surely there is a difference between considering all possibilities and wild conspiracy theorizing, but it appears CNN’s “without any evidence” qualifiers do not get applied equally.

Here is a transcript for the December 6 show:

CNN Inside Politics with Dana Bash

12/6/2024

12:06 PM ET

DANA BASH: And Major Franklin, the motive. That is still not really known. We have some clues –

NEILL FRANKLIN: Absolutely.

BASH: — like what was written on those shell casings.

FRANKLIN: Absolutely. So, right now, what a lot of people are thinking is okay, is directly related to his position as CEO of UnitedHealthcare. And some of the things that we’re hearing about the insurance industry and denying claims and so on. What was scribed or written on the shell casings about, you know, delay, deny, and so on.

That’s, you know, in a sense, leading people initially to that being the motive. But you also know criminal investigators have to think of everything. Could that be a diversion?

…

BASH: So, when you say that, obviously, to talk to his family, you have to know who he is. DNA evidence is important for — I mean, first and foremost that, but also ultimately for a trial, as Shimon was saying. Do you think that they know who he is? You think that they have his identity?

FRANKLIN: It’s a good chance – it’s a very good possibility with these new photographs that he has, that they already know who he is. It’s a very good chance of that. But I also — I want to say something else that I know these criminal investigators are looking into as it relates to motive. There have been times when people have orchestrated their own demise for certain reasons.

BASH: Woah.

FRANKLIN: We know that there was some — yeah, I’m not saying this is the case, but as an investigator –

BASH: Like for insurance purposes?

FRANKLIN: Absolutely, insurance purposes. You know, maybe they fear some type of investigation down the road. Maybe they want to leave their family in a good light. But there have been cases where people have orchestrated their own demise and here’s another reason –

BASH: And just to say, you’re saying in a nice language. You’re saying — you’re saying that it is a possibility –

FRANKLIN: It is a possibility.

BASH: — that he hired somebody to kill him.

FRANKLIN: Absolutely, it cannot be ignored. My, and this is what is really digging at me, as a former criminal investigator, this guy knew too much about where he was going to be at a specific time. There’s no evidence that I’ve seen of him.

When you look at the timeline of him coming to that area outside of the Hilton, and where he was outside of the Hilton. It’s a very small window, very small window. It’s not like he was roaming around. We have video of him roaming around, going from one door to the next to the next, trying to figure out where he’s going to be at a specific time.

BASH: He knew.

FRANKLIN: He was there. He was laying and wait. Who would have that specific type of information as to what sidewalk he was going to be on?