Category - Health
Suspect in CEO Killing Reportedly Had Poor Experience With Healthcare System
In the hours since the arrest of Luigi Mangione, suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a clearer picture of a potential motive is coming together. In recent years the 26-year-old reportedly suffered from debilitating pain as a result of a back surgery.
CNN spoke with Mangione's friend and former roommate R.J. Martin on Monday night, who recalled meeting him in 2022 when he interviewed as a potential housemate in a co-living and co-working community in Honolulu, HI. Even during the interview, Mangione mentioned that he was dealing with back pain. Yet, Martin said he was "beyond shocked" to learn that Mangione was the alleged killer.
"He was a very thoughtful person. Communicated really well, was friendly, had good relationships with everyone. He was even, in some ways, a bit of a leader," Martin said. "When I first interviewed him, before he moved in, I remember he said he had a back issue, and he was hoping to get stronger in Hawaii."
Martin remembered Mangione being bedridden for a week after taking a surfing lesson, and said "it was really traumatic and difficult." He also said that his former friend underwent surgery earlier this year that left him with screws in his body.
"He sent me the X-rays. It looked heinous, with just giant screws going into his spine," Martin explained. "After that, he called me once, I didn’t pick up."
The New York Times reported that Mangione was found with a handwritten manifesto denouncing the business practices of the healthcare industry. It reportedly condemns the “continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allowed them to get away with it.”
Former friends from high school also reportedly had similar stories of how Mangione changed after his back surgery. Jack Mac of Barstool Sports spoke with a source who had several friends who went to high school with Mangione, who was also the school's valedictorian.
"What keeps coming up is a back surgery that 'changed everything' for him and he went 'absolutely crazy,'" Mac posted, along with a screenshot of Mangione's GoodReads history that had a couple telling titles on it: Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery and Back Mechanic.
Spoke with a source that had a lot of friends that went to high school with Luigi Mangione.
— Jack Mac (@JackMacCFB) December 9, 2024
What keeps coming up is a back surgery that “changed everything” for him and he went “absolutely crazy.”
Checks out with his GoodReads history and the X-Ray in his header. pic.twitter.com/dsrXMQcqB2
In a follow-up post, Mac said that Mangione had moved to Japan after his back surgery "didn't go great" and had cut off contact with his family about a year ago. His family had recently reached out to his high school friends to see if they had any information as to his whereabouts. Before authorities took down his Instagram account, there had apparently been tagged photos with family throughout 2023 but none recently.
Mangione, who also graduated from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, comes from a prominent Maryland real estate family. Following his arrest on Monday, the family released a statement through his cousin, Baltimore politician Nino Mangione.
"Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione. We only know what we have read in the media," read the statement. "Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news."