Ivy League Graduate Luigi Mangione Charged with Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO After Manhunt

Dec 16, 2024, 07:55 AM

Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old former high school valedictorian and Ivy League graduate, has been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a McDonald's employee recognized him from surveillance photos circulated by the New York Police Department (NYPD). The arrest followed a nationwide manhunt initiated after Thompson was shot outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024, while attending his company's investor conference. Mangione faces charges in both Pennsylvania and New York, including second-degree murder, weapon possession, and forgery. His mother, Kathleen Mangione, had reported him missing in San Francisco before his arrest, and she later indicated to the FBI that her son might be the suspect. Mangione's writings, seized by police, reveal a fixation on the healthcare industry, particularly UnitedHealthcare, citing issues like high costs and corporate greed. He has retained attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a former Manhattan prosecutor, to represent him in New York. The case has sparked discussions on the safety of business leaders, radicalization against corporate America, and Mangione's anti-capitalist views. Mangione had suffered from a back injury which may have contributed to his anger towards the healthcare system.