In the end, it was the simple act of distribute photos – not sophisticated facial recognition technology – which led police to a man they call “person of interest” in the fatal shooting of a health executive in Midtown Manhattan last week.
After the murder of Brian Thompsonthe executive director of UnitedHealthcarelast Wednesday, the New York Police Department began posting a constant stream of images. The photos, taken together, appeared to show a young man with light skin and dark features. One photo – fundamental – showed his entire face.
Even when police recovered what they called a “huge amount” from forensic and video evidence, it was that specific photo that led to the arrest of a man Monday morning about 300 miles (480 kilometers) from the city of New Yorkas reported Joseph Kennychief of detectives Police Department.
Shortly after 9 a.m. on Monday, in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvaniaan employee saw a man who looked like the person in the photos, and then called the police, who detained the man for questioning.
The man, whom police identified as Luigi Mangione26 years old, Marylandwas carrying a gun, a silencer and some kind of manifesto, police said.
Kenny He said it was difficult to credit progress in the case to a particular moment or piece of evidence, but that if he had to do it, “would be the publication of that photograph to the media”.
For experts, the case was a reminder of how – even as facial recognition technology becomes more sophisticated – distribute photos and trust the public to recognize a face can still play a critical role in investigations.
Sean Patrick Griffina former police officer Philadelphia and professor of criminal justice at The Citadela military university in South Carolinasaid this was not a typical case. “That photo has been viewed more times than the average number of homicides,” said Griffinwho added that the photos also showed enough of the man’s face to play a useful role.
In the photo that appears to have led to the arrest of Gluttonthe suspect has distinctive facial features: dark eyes and eyebrows, high cheekbones, and a wide smile that curves at the corners. “Not just dark, but prominent eyebrows“, said Griffinwho mentioned that such a recognizable trait was not ideal for someone looking to escape a high-profile crime.
Robert Baera former officer of the CIA and author of several books, including “The Perfect Kill: 21 Laws for Assassins”He said he was just surprised it took the police so long to find someone. “Once they had the photo of that guy, when he lowered his mask, it was certain that he would be arrested“, said.
Like other experts, Baer He mentioned that a professional hitman would have been more careful about exposing his face on camera.
The arrest, on weapons charges and for questioning in connection with the shooting, occurred five days after Thompson was murdered outside a hotel Hilton en Midtown. Within hours, police released blurry images of a man wearing a backpack, arms outstretched as he fired his gun, and later, riding a bicycle as he fled.
More images of the suspect were soon released. Two photos – captured by cameras in the hostel in the Upper West Side de Manhattan where he stayed-they showed a man wearing a hooded jacket. His face was not covered, and in one, he was smiling.
Over the weekend, two images emerged showing a man wearing a slightly different outfit – a surgical mask and a black coat – taken from a taxi. In one, he is seen looking through the cab compartment, his dark eyes and eyebrows clearly visible above his mask.
The images helped fuel a wide interest in the case.
Some people made comparisons to celebrities. There was at least one lookalike contest, in a park Manhattan. The suspect even had something of a fan, because, in the words of one expert, Michael C. Farkas“people hate the health insurance industry”.
Farkas He added that many people, however, were clearly interested in helping the police solve the case.
“There’s a reason people still do things that would seem strange, like printing ‘Wanted’ posters.“, said Farkasa defense attorney who has worked as a homicide prosecutor in the city of New York. “People Really Recognize Photos from Print Sources”.
(C) The New York Times.-
