LUIGI Mangione – the man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson – has broken his silence from prison for the first time.
The suspect, 26, revealed he has been swamped with adoring letters from twisted fans in his statement posted to a website called Luigi Mangione Info.
GettyLuigi Mangione arriving in New York City in December after being extradited from Pennsylvania[/caption]
A pro-Mangione protester holding a ‘Free Luigi’ sign outside the Pennsylvania courthouseAFP or licensors
RexLuigi is accused of shooting dead Brian Thompson on December 4[/caption]
In the message, Luigi says he is “overwhelmed” by the response from the public since his arrest on December 9.
He revealed that lots of people from different backgrounds have written to him to share their stories and offer their support.
He said that “mail has flooded MDC [Metropolitan Detention Center] from across the country, and around the globe”.
Luigi said that, whilst he cannot reply to all the letters, he reads every single one he receives.
His message concludes: “Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write. I look forward to hearing more in the future.”
It was posted to a website run by his defense team, which they set up to deal with the “extraordinary volume of inquiries and outpouring of support”.
The site features case updates, information on his legal team, an FAQ section, a contact form and a link to a fundraiser.
In the website’s FAQ section, Luigi’s attorneys asked the public to stop sending him books.
They wrote: “He is very appreciative, but kindly asks that people temporarily refrain from sending more books”, because he has received “numerous”.
Luigi’s full statement
THE following message was posted to luigimangioneinfo.com:
“Due to the extraordinary volume of inquiries and outpouring of support, this site was created and is maintained by Luigi Mangione’s New York legal defense team to provide answers to frequently asked questions, accurate information about his cases, and dispel misinformation. The intent is to share factual information regarding the unprecedented, multiple prosecutions against him.
“Here is a message from Luigi:
“‘I am overwhelmed by – and grateful for – everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support. Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions, as mail has flooded MDC from across the country, and around the globe. While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write. I look forward to hearing more in the future.’”
NYPDLuigi was caught on camera flirting with a hotel receptionist[/caption]
NYPDA CCTV grab of the CEO’s shooter[/caption]
Luigi is currently rotting in a windowless solitary confinement cell within the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
He is facing federal charges including murder over the December 4 shooting of the private healthcare CEO in Midtown Manahattan – for which he could face execution.
He is also fighting murder and terrorism charges in New York state.
His next court appearance will be on February 21 in Manhattan on the state charges.
A huge, five-day manhunt followed Thomspon’s murder, and Luigi was eventually tracked down at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
When Luigi was arrested, cops found pieces of paper covered in a handwritten “manifesto” alongside other alleged items including a gun, bullets, fake IDs and cash.
APLuigi being escorted into Manhattan Criminal Court on December 23 to face state murder and terror charges[/caption]
Pro-Luigi protesters outside Manhattan Criminal CourtAFP or licensors
The document attacked America’s healthcare system, and even said: “frankly, these parasites had it coming”.
Luigi also indulged his vigilante delusion by allegedly engraving the words “deny”, “defend” and “depose” onto shell casings found at the murder scene.
These ideological messages gained the suspect a cult following from misguided supporters who feel aligned with his grievances.
A poll published two weeks after Thompson’s murder found that 41 per cent of voters under 30 thought the killing was acceptable.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been donated to various defense funds set up in his name – with the one linked through his website sitting at over $400,000.
The committee backing the fundraiser said: “The American private health insurance industry has ruined countless lives by denying people access to basic care and burying families in medical debt.
“It’s no surprise that Luigi’s alleged actions are understood and supported by tens of millions of hard-working Americans.”
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg in December as Luigi was brought in, waiving “Free Luigi” and anti-insurance signs.
Supporters wore caps of the Nintendo Super Mario character Luigi and held up signs that read: “Murder for profit is terrorism” and “Death by denial is murder.”
Mangione flanked by dozens of NYPD officers as he arrived in New YorkReuters
APThe suspect had furious words for the media[/caption]
Officials have consistently condemned those who praise the murder Luigi stands accused of.
Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, previously said: “This was a killing to invoke terror.
“This was not an ordinary killing, not to suggest that any killing is ordinary, but this was extraordinary, and the New York State Legislature has set out both the paths, both the murder one and murder two.
Luigi allegedly murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after waiting for half an hour outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown on the morning of December 4.
Surveillance footage captured the moment a masked gun snuck up behind Thompson, who was on his way to an investors meeting, before firing three shots using a 3D-printed ghost gun, prosecutors said.
Thompson was struck in the back and leg and was transported to Mount Sinai West Hospital, where he died.
Details in the unsealed federal indictment against Luigi allegedly show that he had been planing to kill Thompson as early as August 15.
An entry in his notebook read: “The details are finally coming together,” according to court documents.
Who was Brian Thompson?
BRIAN Thompson was the CEO of UnitedHealth – the largest private healthcare insurer in the US healthcare.
He was gunned down in midtown Manhattan on December 4 and died.
The murderer, a masked assailant. struck as Thompspon was walking into a hotel where the company he led was holding an investors’ meeting.
Five days later, police charged Luigi Mangione, with his murder, after detaining him at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
A statement from Thompson’s family said: “We are shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian.
“Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives.”
Thompson and his wife, Paulette, had been living separately at the time of his death.
He received a $10.2million pay package last year from the company he started at the company in 2004.
Before joining UnitedHealthcare, he was a manager at accountancy giant PwC for a number of years.
He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 with a bachelor’s in business administration.
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