Maybe I’m just face-blind or being dense but the photos from the scene of the crime look like a different dude than the ginning hostel check in guy. The jackets and backpacks are different. Although people can have multiple jackets and backpacks. We don’t see much of the shooters face but the eyebrows look different. Although, people can pluck/shave eyebrows. I guess the happy hostel guy would have come forward and been like “WTF?” and “I have an alibi” if it wasn’t him?
The nose I can go either way on. It looks “different” to me but wearing a mask and not grinning makes a huge difference there (it is why you are told to not smile for ID photos). The eyebrows are more a function of angle and resolution as you can see some darkness on the left (and he is obviously scowling and not flirting with a cute desk girl).
As for the jacket and backpack? Too lazy to look up the backpack models (people figured it out) but the one on the left looks small enough to fit in the one on the right. So he has his backpack for travel and then a smaller one full of gun and snacks and whatever else for the stakeout.
Never talk to the cops without a lawyer and NEVER voluntarily talk to them.
Also? The cops are going to find SOMEONE in the next week or so. And you can be damned sure they are going to take advantage of all of the news and social media about how this is a skilled hitman fighting for the loss of a loved one who WILL NOT BE TAKEN ALIVE. They’ll corner whoever they can pin it on, shoot them a few times, and then plant a gun and call it a day.
Agreed. I think he could’ve changed clothes to throw the investigators in for a loop
It’s the smart thing to do and pretty basic evasion tactic that I know I learned from a kids book about spies when I was a kid.
My guess is, he road the ebike to Central Park (known fact), ran into a restroom to quick change, probably did something to modify his appearance then continued off blending into the crowd, probably leaving the city on public transit to further anonymise himself.
Another tactic mentioned in that same kids spy book was to put something distracting like a bandage on your face so it’s harder for witnesses to remember your face, they’ll just remember there was a big bandage on the cheek or whatever. I’ve never heard of people actually using that tactic so I do have to wonder if there’s a pitfall there that’s not immediately obvious