Overview
- Mayor Brett Smiley asked FBI Director Kash Patel to grant the full reward to the unidentified tipster known as “John,” calling his actions heroic.
- The FBI reiterated it does not disclose whether rewards are paid or to whom, citing standard policy.
- The reward notice sought information leading to identification, arrest, and conviction, yet suspect Claudio Manuel Neves Valente was found dead by apparent suicide, precluding an arrest.
- Investigators credited “John” with a detailed Reddit alert about a gray Nissan with Florida plates and subsequent cooperation that helped trace a rental car to a New Hampshire storage site where Valente’s body was discovered.
- FBI Boston’s special agent in charge said it was logical the tipster could be entitled, but payments follow a formal nomination and interagency review process culminating in a Secretary of State decision.