Luigi Mangione latest: Suspect’s mom realized son might be CEO shooter one day before arrest
Kathleen Mangione told investigators that her son resembled the Brian Thompson shooting suspect a day before he was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania
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Luigi Mangione’s mother is said to have spoken to FBI officials one day before her son was arrested on suspicion of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Kathleen Mangione reportedly told federal investigators that her 26-year-old son – who was detained at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s last Monday – resembled the suspected shooter but said she wasn’t completely confident they were the same person, law enforcement sources told ABC news.
It comes as a top New York City attorney has been hired to represent Mangione as he faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with Thompson’s shooting death. Karen Friedman Agnifilo will be representing the suspect in New York, while he also faces gun charges in Pennsylvania and is currently fighting extradition to New York.
Agnifilo has worked in private practice since 2021 and has experience in New York City’s criminal justice system. She spent seven years as the chief assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Mangione’s supporters continue to donate thousands of dollars for “defense funds” with one committee raising almost $125,000 to pay for Mangione’s legal bills, as of Monday morning.
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Timeline of the manhunt
December 4: The suspect set off from an Upper West Side hostel before dawn. He was seen on surveillance video walking back and forth at 54th Street and Sixth Avenue, near the Hilton Hotel where the UnitedHealthcare Group was holding its conference. After opening fire, the suspect fled by bike through Central Park before getting into a cab and was later spotted at a bus station. A manhunt ensued.
December 5: Investigators revealed a cryptic message carved onto the shell casings: “delay,” “deny” and “depose.” NYPD also released images of the suspect.
December 6: Police announce they believe the suspect has left New York City, expanding the desperate search. A backpack, thought to belong to the suspect, was found in Central Park and sent in for forensic testing. The now-viral “flirtatious” photo of the suspect speaking to a hostel worker was released.
December 7: NYPD releases another photo of the suspect, this time in the back of a taxi. The FBI also joined the hunt for the suspect, offering a $50,000 reward for information.
December 8: Although no leads on the suspect’s whereabouts were made public, investigators revealed the contents of the backpack included Monopoly money and a Tommy Hilfiger jacket.
December 9: A private service for Brian Thompson was held. Also that day, a McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania tipped recognized Mangione from the photos circulated by police. He was arrested in Pennsylvania on gun charges and hours later faced a murder charge in New York.
ICYMI: UnitedHealthcare says it didn’t insure Luigi Mangione
UnitedHealth Group, the parent company to UntiedHealthcare, said that Luigi Mangione was not a customer of the health insurance company.
There is no record that the 26-year-old shooting suspect was ever insured by the company, UnitedHealth Group told NBC News.
Police also confirmed that there is “no indication” that Mangione was registered with UnitedHealthcare, whose CEO was murdered on December 4 in Midtown Manhattan.
“We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth-largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest health care organization in America,” Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York.
Suspect’s defense lawyer has interesting connection to Diddy
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, the top New York attorney tasked with representing Mangione is married to Marc Agnifilo who is heading Sean “Diddy” Combs’ criminal defense.
She was retained after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Mangione may stop resisting his extradition to New York, where he faces a murder charge. The suspect is currently being held in a Pennsylvania jail without bond after he was arrested at a McDonald’s on Monday.
Diddy has been accused of kidnapping, drugging and coercing women into sexual activities, sometimes through the use of firearms and threats of violence.
A Boston crowd cheered when a DJ put up a picture of Luigi Mangione
A group of partygoers in Boston reportedly cheered when a DJ put a photo of Luigi Mangione on a big screen.
See the footage below.
WATCH: Will the Healthcare Industry Change After Death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson?
Polymarket starts taking bets on Luigi Mangione’s future
Betting platform Polymarket started taking bets on Luigi Mangione’s future after the 26-year-old was charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The bets started appearing on the website on Monday shortly after Mangione was arrested in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on gun charges, according to Forbes.
The betting platform surged in popularity during the 2024 presidential election, when gamblers spent more than $3.3 billion guessing the results.
So far, users have wagered thousands of dollars worth of cryptocurrencies speculating over Mangione’s alleged motive and outcome of the case.
A bet with one of the highest trading volumes, $125,000, is on whether Mangione was “motivated by denied [health insurance] claims.” Polymarket’s betting odds give it a 24 percent chance of being true.
Rhian Lubin has the full story.
Polymarket starts taking bets on Luigi Mangione’s future
The bets started appearing on the website shortly after Mangione was arrested in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania
Watch: McDonald’s tightens security at Pennsylvania restaurant where Mangione was arrested
Brian Thompson was concerned about UnitedHealthcare’s image
According to a new report in The Washington Post, Thompson thought the company had a public relations problem.
He didn’t believe Americans understood the company’s role in the healthcare industry, including steps it had taken to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for lifesaving drugs, the outlet reported. He made the remarks as UnitedHealthcare and its parent company, UnitedHealth Group, faced a congressional probe and consumer anger after it was accused of denying care to the ill and elderly in a bid to up profits.
“He understood that the public was frustrated with what they perceived the company’s actions to be,” according to one of the people who spoke with Thompson. “He was actively articulating a vision that helped better educate and help people better understand what the company is doing.”