Police Now Believe Luigi Mangione Had No Ties to UnitedHealthcare, Targeted CEO for Different Reasons
Authorities investigating the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson now suspect that Luigi Mangione, the alleged perpetrator, was never a client of the insurance giant.
In a statement provided to NBC, UnitedHealth Group clarified that Mangione, 26, had no history of being insured with the company.
New York Police Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny revealed that Mangione’s social media posts and personal writings indicate his actions were influenced by a “life-altering injury” caused by a back problem.
Kenny suggested that the size and influence of UnitedHealthcare might have made the company a target.
“There’s no evidence indicating he was ever a customer of UnitedHealthcare,” Kenny said. “However, he does reference that it’s the fifth-largest corporation in America, which also makes it the largest health care organization in the country.”
“This could potentially explain why he chose to target that specific company,” Kenny added.
An NYPD intelligence report obtained by CNN noted that Mangione’s motivations appeared rooted in anger toward the health insurance industry and its perceived “corporate greed.”
The report stated, “He seemed to view the act of targeting the company’s top executive as a symbolic move—a challenge to what he saw as corruption and ‘power games.’ In his writings, he described himself as the ‘first to face it with such brutal honesty.’”
Ken Klippenstein published Mangione’s manifesto, where Mangione expressed his rationale:
“I do apologize for any distress or trauma caused, but this was necessary. These parasites simply brought it upon themselves,” he wrote.
He criticized the American healthcare system, stating, “The U.S. has the #1 most expensive healthcare system globally, yet we rank approximately #42 in life expectancy. United is the [indecipherable] largest corporation in the U.S., trailing only Apple, Google, and Walmart. While it thrives, our life expectancy?”
Mangione accused corporations of exploiting the nation for profit: “The reality is that these [indecipherable] have become far too powerful. They exploit our country for immense profit, and the American public has let them.”
He acknowledged the issue’s complexity, writing, “Obviously, this problem is far more intricate than I can address here. I’m not the most qualified person to detail the entire argument. But decades ago, figures like Rosenthal and Moore exposed the greed and corruption, yet nothing has changed.”
Mangione concluded, “This isn’t a question of awareness anymore—it’s about power games. Evidently, I’m the first to confront it with such brutal honesty.”
On Friday, the law firm Agnifilo Intrater LLP announced that former New York City prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo would defend Mangione against the expected murder charges, ABC reported.
Mangione is currently detained in Pennsylvania as he contests extradition to New York State.
Friedman Agnifilo, who served as the second-in-command to former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance from 2014 to 2021, will be leading his defense.