Luigi Mangione, a former valedictorian and University of Pennsylvania graduate hailing from a wealthy Maryland family, is now facing charges for the ambush murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The case has drawn parallels to Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber.
According to John Kelly, a criminal profiler and the president of System to Apprehend Lethal Killers, both Mangione and Kaczynski utilized violent acts to convey messages. The Unabomber’s killings were aimed at highlighting concerns regarding the technology industry and its potential impact on the country.
John Kelly, who was involved in the Unabomber case, recalls Kaczynski’s reign of terror that spanned almost two decades. The Unabomber infamously targeted universities and airlines, sending a total of 16 bombs and even placing one on a plane that detonated at a specific altitude.
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CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione shouts as officers restrain him as he arrives for his extradition hearing in Hollidaysburg, Pa., on Dec. 10, 2024. (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)
Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on a slew of charges. His lawyer told a judge this week that he plans to fight extradition to New York, delaying a second-degree murder case there.
Police told Fox News they were looking into whether he had a health care claim denied as they investigate a potential motive.
They have alleged that Mangione admitted to the crime in writing and left behind other clues, including bullet casings with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” on them and a backpack full of Monopoly money.
UnitedHealthcare CEO slaying suspect Luigi Mangione is shown at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., on Dec. 9, 2024. (Pennsylvania State Police)
The notes left on the bullet casings have drawn comparisons to the book “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.” The book did not appear on his Goodreads account. Police said Wednesday that the casings were a ballistic match to the handgun seized during Mangione’s arrest.
“He had sympathy for an individual, and he had a cause and allegedly used violence for that cause,” Parker said. “It takes a long time for these thoughts to develop. This shooter had the intelligence and sophistication to do it, [a] personality of traits of someone willing to go to extreme measures for something that he’s passionate about. He believed he was standing up for something for his cause and his self-identity: saving all of these people who had fallen victim to the health care insurance industry.”
Fox News’ Michael Lundin, Chris Pandolfo and Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
