Strange item found inside backpack linked to New York assassin that killed healthcare CEO shared

The peculiar items discovered in a backpack that could be linked to the assassin behind the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson have been revealed.

American health boss Thompson was shot outside a New York City hotel on Wednesday morning (4 December) by a masked assassin.

After the crime, they escaped on foot, before riding an e-bike into Central Park where CCTV cameras lost track of them.

Thompson's death sent shockwaves across the nation, as he was head of the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US, which made $281 billion (£219 billion) in revenue last year, according to The Washington Post.

Authorities are still attempting to track down the suspect (NYPD)

The NYPD has been conducting an investigation following the sudden killing of the father-of-two, finding that the bullet casings of the shots read 'deny', 'defend' and 'depose', a connection to a book titled Delay, Deny, Defend.

It became famous for critiquing the way that health insurance companies work in the US.

After an image of the suspect was released to help the search, items such as a phone and water bottle were found at the scene of the crime which are undergoing DNA testing.

Now, a backpack has been found by officers in the hunt for the masked killer, though it did not contain the weapon.

The backpack has been sent away for examination (ABC)

Sources revealed to Bloomberg that a jacket was found in the bag, as well as some Monopoly money, oddly.

Authorities originally uncovered the bag in Central Park on Friday (6 December).

Police sources couldn't confirm if the jacket was the same one that was found in surveillance images, as the backpack has been sent to a forensic laboratory for examination after discovery.

This new evidence was discovered on the authorities' second sweep of the park, with the bag found between boulders next to the park's carousel.

The DailyMail further reported on Saturday (8 December) that footage revealed police divers in the water near Bethseda fountain as the search continues, while investigators confirmed it was related to Wednesday's murder.

According to The New York Post, New York mayor Erica Adams claimed that the 'net is tightening' on the killer.

The police have not publicly revealed the name of the suspect, as they continue to trace his steps before escaping.