Luigi Mangione latest: Top New York attorney tapped by CEO murder suspect as ‘defense fund’ donations mount

A disturbing sign was spotted on Highway 99 near Dexter Avenue North in Seattle, Washington, on Thursday.

The sign, which was captured by a KOMO News photographer, flashed between “one less CEO” and “many more to go,” in an apparent jibe at Brian Thompson, the slain UnitedHealthcare chief executive.

It does not belong to a government entity such as the Seattle Department of Transportation, the outlet says.

Social critic and documentary filmmaker Michael Moore said in a Substack post that he wants to “pour gasoline” on the anger Americans have expressed against the nation’s health insurance industry.

Moore wrote Friday that fury directed at the US health insurance industry was “1000 percent justified.” Following the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan last week, some Americans have taken to social media and other outlets to express their frustration with the state of private health insurance in the nation.

Read more from Graig Graziosi:

Luigi Mangione’s potential motives in connection to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson remain unclear, police say.

There is “no indication” that the shooting suspect, who is believed to have undergone back surgery last year, was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare, according to the NYPD’s Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.

He said that the findings don’t appear to indicate that Mangione had a grudge against Thompson, who was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, but targeted the company for its size and because he had prior knowledge of a conference taking place.

“We have no indication that he ever was a client of UnitedHealthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America,” he told NBC New York.

A 42-year-old Florida woman was arrested Tuesday after allegedly threatening a health insurance worker over the phone by using the same words that were found on the bullets used to fatally shoot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week.

“Delay, deny, depose. You people are next.” Briana Boston of Lakeland allegedly told a BlueCross BlueShield employee at the end of a call about a recently denied medical insurance claim.

Those same words were found scrawled on three bullet casings at the scene of Thompson’s murder. Police believe they are a reference to “Delay, Deny, Defend” – which is the name of a book attacking insurance companies, and a phrase used to describe how insurance companies delay payments, deny claims and defend their actions.

Because of the recent fatal shooting of Thomspon, the employee perceived the words as a threat and called FBI officials, said officials.

Ariana Baio has the full story.

Watch the sketch below:

Luigi Mangione supporters have donated tens of thousands of dollars to “defense funds” set up for him after he was arrested on suspicion of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The anonymous fund “December 4th Legal Committee” surpassed more than $100,000 in donations on the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo by Sunday morning.

The group’s name is an apparent reference to the day the 26-year-old allegedly gunned down the healthcare executive on a busy Manhattan street.

My colleague Alexander Butler reports: