DRIVEN TO KILL?
CEO ‘assassin’ Luigi Mangione ‘went crazy’ after giant screws put in spine & called insurers ‘parasites’ in manifesto
A number of worrying X posts from his concerned friends have also been uncovered
THE college graduate charged with the murder of a top CEO may have turned "absolutely crazy" after an agonizing back surgery, claim pals.
X-ray pictures posted by suspected assassin Luigi Mangione on social media show he suffered from a misaligned spine, which was reportedly made severely worse following a surfing accident.
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Those looking into the 26-year-old murder suspect have now claimed this serious back injury led to a worrying spiral in the last 12 months.
Mangione was reportedly suffering from spondylolisthesis - an issue with the vertebra - and was given four screws placed deep into his spine to help with the pain.
Former classmates of Mangione have appeared to tell reporters that the surgery went wrong and that this could have driven the Maryland man to the brink.
He was arrested on Monday and charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
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Chilling footage captured the moment a man believed to be Mangione gunned down Thompson in New York.
Investigators are continuing to look into the cold-blooded kill, with Mangione's alleged motives still unclear.
What we know so far...
- Luigi Mangione charged with murder of Brian Thompson
- A person of interest was arrested at McDonald's with a ghost gun, silencer, and the same fake ID used by the killer at a NYC hostel
- Police found the 'assassin's' backpack at Central Park and discovered Monopoly money inside
- Photos showed the suspected killer smiling as he pulled down his face mask to flirt with a hostel receptionist
- An expert said the killer's gun malfunction may have been ‘for show’ and linked to a secret message on bullets
- The shooter milled around the entrance for minutes before sneaking up behind the CEO and unloading a barrage of bullets into his back and leg, eerie surveillance revealed
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The botched surgery is currently one of the leading theories.
Mangione is said to have moved to Japan shortly after the surfing accident and lived an almost silent life in seclusion away from family and friends.
One source, quoting the former classmates, said they felt the wealthy former valedictorian turned "absolutely crazy" after the operation.
They believe that following the ordeal, "everything changed" in his life, leading to him becoming a murder suspect.
The theory is further supported by looking at Mangione's GoodReads history which shows multiple books on dealing with back pain.
Luigi Mangione, 26, charged with murder of CEO Brian Thompson after being caught at McDonald's
He is also said to have stopped contacting his family and friends around six months ago - around the same time he is believed to have moved to Japan, according to the reports.
A number of posts on X from earlier this year show people tagging the 26-year-old and asking if he is okay.
One read: "Hey are you ok? Nobody had heard from you in months, and apparently you family is looking for you."
Another said: "Hey man I need you to call me. I don't know if you are okay or just in a super isolated place and have no service.
"But I haven't heard from you in months."
Details around the surfing accident that caused the spinal issues are yet to emerge, but sources say it took place in Honolulu, Hawaii.
This coincides with the last known address cops have for Mangione, which was also in the state's capital.
Mangione was said to have been a part of the community in the city and even opened up about his back issues during his time in Hawaii.
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Founder of Surfbreak in Honolulu, RJ Martin, has spoken out since Mangione was named and remembered some conversations he had with the suspect.
He said, according to the New York Times: "His spine was kind of misaligned.
"He said his lower vertebrae were almost like a half-inch off, and I think it pinched a nerve.
"Sometimes he’d be doing well and other times not."
Martin, who also shared a room with the suspected masked murderer, says he had even commented on how his back stopped him from having sex.
"He knew that dating and being physically intimate with his back condition wasn’t possible," he said.
Cops are looking into a number of leads following Mangione's capture.
When police swooped on him in a McDonald's in Pennsylvania they found a ghost gun similar to the murder weapon and documents that appeared to be linked to the killing.
Hey are you ok? Nobody had heard from you in months, and apparently you family is looking for you
Mangione's pal
One handwritten document is said to have indicated "motivation and mindset" and scolded the healthcare industry, according to police.
The manifesto reportedly said: "These parasites had it coming.
"I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done."
A note also saw him reportedly admit that he acted alone and was self-funded, cops who saw the document told .
Another key mystery is around the bullets used by the killer.
Police recovered three live 9mm rounds and three discharged casings from outside the Manhattan Hilton hotel where Thompson was killed.
The words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” were found on the casings, police sources told the .
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Investigators are said to have had no hunch that Mangione could have been the killer with him not even being on their wanted suspect list.
His capture was a complete surprise as the NYPD thanked a McDonald's worker who phoned the cops alerting them of his presence.
It comes as Mangione was regarded as a beloved, clever and wealthy man by his family, friends and all who knew him.
He was born and raised in where he was valedictorian of his high school graduating class at Gilman School in Baltimore.
He had no prior criminal history and was said to have been a model student, footballer and all-round athlete at high school.
After, Mangione graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied Computer and Information Science, according to his LinkedIn profile.
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He also got his masters from the Ivy League school.
Mangione was reportedly a data engineer at a car company in California before moving to Hawaii.
Timeline of Brian Thompson's murder
BRIAN Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot to death in Manhattan in an execution-like killing.
Here is everything we know about Thompson's murder so far.
Monday, December 2 - Thompson travels from his home in Minnesota to New York City for an investor conference in Midtown Manhattan.
Wednesday, December 4, 6:45 am - Thompson walks from his hotel across the street to the New York Hilton Midtown and is murdered by a masked shooter. The execution was caught on surveillance, and the suspect was seen biking away toward Central Park. Cops spark a citywide search for the assassin.
11:30 am - Cops released disturbing images of the execution, offered a reward for information, and made a desperate plea for New Yorkers to keep their eyes out.
12:00 pm - Thompson's estranged wife Paulette revealed her husband had been threatened before he was shot.
2:45 pm - Cops released more eerie images of the suspect ordering at Starbucks that partially revealed his face. The U.S. Sun confirmed the coffee shop was just two blocks away from the shooting, but it's unclear when he stopped by.
December 5, 6 am - Reports claim the words "deny," "dispose," and "defend" were engraved on live rounds and shell casings left behind by the assassin. These words echo the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which is about the failings of the healthcare industry. The author of the book had no comment on the reports.
8 am- Cops raid a hostel in the Upper West Side of New York City where the suspect is said to have stayed. It's believed he wore a mask for most of the time he was there.
11 am - A person of interest in Thompson's murder is pictured. He's wearing a hood in the photo, but his full face could be seen breaking into a beaming grin. Still, no arrests have been made in the investigation.
Afternoon - Law enforcement confirms the suspect arrived in New York City on a Greyhound bus on November 24. It's also confirmed that the suspect dropped a burner cell phone near the scene of the shooting.
December 6, 3 pm - Police announce they believe the killer has left New York City via interstate bus. They release more surveillance footage that shows him taking a taxi to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.
December 9 - Luigi Mangione, 26, is arrested as a "strong person of interest" at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was carrying a three-page manifesto, fake IDs, and a gun similar to the one used in Thompson's murder.
He is later charged with the murder of Thompson.
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