NEW YORK – According to the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Luigi Mangione, the suspect charged with fatally attacking UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last year, purportedly received a note shaped like a heart from a supporter hidden within a pair of socks that were part of a set of clothes provided by his defense team for his court appearance.
The 26-year-old former Ivy League student arrived in restraints, dressed in khaki trousers, Rockport penny loafers, and a green sweater beneath a bulletproof vest as a nod to his followers, who had coordinated to wear green in a nod to the Nintendo character Luigi from the “Super Mario” series.
To prevent him from having to wear a jail uniform, Mangione’s defense team reportedly handed over a bag of clothing to Major Mike McKee, a New York State Court officer responsible for supervising prisoner transport, as per allegations from prosecutors. Prior to passing the garments to the defendant, Investigator Sgt. Louis Capolupo conducted a thorough search of the items.
Despite the allegations of cold-blooded murder, Mangione has received vocal support online, including hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to his defense.
Early in the investigation, police said that they recovered bullet casings at the scene with handwritten messages on them: “defend,” “depose” and “deny” – an apparent reference to a book critical of the health insurance industry’s tendency to deny claims.
Supporters of Luigi Mangione gather outside court following a hearing on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last year. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
After the slaying, Mangione allegedly skipped town. However, police found him at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after people inside recognized him from a smiling suspect photo in an NYPD wanted poster.
Altoona police allegedly captured him with the suspected murder weapon, a fake ID and a manifesto slamming health insurers.
