Luigi Mangione latest: Top New York attorney tapped by defense as new details emerge on how suspect fled to Pennsylvania

In a public response to the outpouring of rage against health insurance companies following the murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company admitted America’s health care system “is flawed” as he mourned the loss of a “brilliant, kind man.”

In an op-ed titled “The health care system is flawed. Let’s fix it,” published in the New York Times on Friday, Andrew Witty, chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group, wrote that he “understands people’s frustrations.”

The shocking case has prompted a wave of support for the suspect, Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with Thompson’s murder and is fighting extradition to New York, as Americans vent their frustrations with the state of health care.

“We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand people’s frustrations with it,” Witty said. “No one would design a system like the one we have.”

Rhian Lubin has the full story.

Luigi Mangione’s family are said to have hired a private investigator to search for the Brian Thompson’s suspected murderer after he cut communication with friends and family late last year, a friend said.

A friend who allegedly studied alongside Mangione at The Gilman School claimed that he stopped contact with his family at the end of 2023.

“I did know he was having some issues,” a schoolfriend told the Daily Mail. “He wasn’t talking with his family, and nobody could find him.

“They hired a private investigator, they were so worried.”

The friend claimed they’d been told that Mangione had struggled with pain medication due to an injury stemming from an accident.

“There was some sort of accident. I knew he was hurt some time ago and that led to the painkiller thing, and then the whole family issue,” he said. “I can’t confirm what the issue specifically was, but I know that he was estranged.”

The Mail claims that another schoolmate said had heard of Mangione’s alleged use of pain medication due to a chronic spinal injury.

UnitedHealth Group, the parent company to UntiedHealthcare, said that Luigi Mangione was not a customer of the health insurance company.

There is no record that the 26-year-old shooting suspect was ever insured by the company, UnitedHealth Group told NBC News.

Police also confirmed that there is “no indication” that Mangione was registered with UnitedHealthcare, whose CEO was murdered on December 4 in Midtown Manhattan.

“We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth-largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest health care organization in America,” Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York.

Police have issued a search warrant for the cell phone believed to have been dropped by the Brian Thomspon shooting suspect as he fled the crime scene last week, sources say.

The phone was recovered in an alley outside a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where the UnitedHealth CEO was gunned down in the street on December 4.

Authorities are still looking to access a phone recovered by police in an alley following the shooting that is believed to be linked to the suspect, sources told ABC Action News 6 on Thursday. A search warrant has been obtained for the phone, sources said.

A search warrant has also been issued to the HI New York City Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan where the suspect stayed, sources said.

The boss of the UnitedHealth Group, the parent company to UnitedHealthcare, has broken his silence over Brian Thompson’s shooting death, and addressed the “legacy” he had left behind.

Writing in a New York Times op-ed on Friday morning, Andrew Witty lamented the loss of his “brilliant” UnitedHealthcare CEO.

“As Brian Thompson’s family, friends and colleagues mourn his killing, we are bearing a grief and sadness we will carry for the rest of our lives,” he wrote. “Grief for the family he leaves behind. And grief for a brilliant, kind man who was working to make health care better for everyone.”

Witty wrote of Thompson’s humble Iowa roots, and said he “never forgot where he came from”. He added that the slain health insurer was a mover and shaker in the industry and “never content with the status quo”.

He continued: “Brian was never content with the status quo. That’s why he pushed us to build dedicated teams to help the sickest people navigate the health system.”

Thompson wanted to make health care more affordable and transparent, according to Witty.

“That’s Brian’s legacy, one that we will carry forward by continuing our work to make the health system work better for everyone,” he concluded.

The McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania who called in the tip that led to the arrest of Luigi Mangione is eligible for law enforcement’s $60,000 reward — but he may not collect it for a while.

The manhunt for the masked gunman suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 came to an end after six days when Larry, a McDonald’s employee, called 911, saying he recognized a customer nibbling on hashbrowns from the photos circulated by NYPD.

Now, that worker is eligible to collect tens of thousands of dollars in reward money.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

The CEO of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company to UnitedHealthcare, admitted that the US health system “doesn’t work as well as it should”.

Writing in a New York Times op-ed on Friday morning, Andrew Witty lamented the loss of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of United Healthcare, and addressed the US’s “patchwork” healthcare system.

The health insurance executive also wrote that he understood people’s frustrations with the health care system.

“We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand people’s frustrations with it,” he wrote. “No one would design a system like the one we have. And no one did. It’s a patchwork built over decades.”

He continued: “Our mission is to help make it work better. We are willing to partner with anyone, as we always have – health care providers, employers, patients, pharmaceutical companies, governments and others – to find ways to deliver high-quality care and lower costs.

“Clearly, we are not there yet. We understand and share the desire to build a health care system that works better for everyone. That is the purpose of our organization.”

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has spoken out about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson.

The congresswoman condoned the violence that took place in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, but says that those who had been denied health insurance claims may be interpreted as an “act of violence” against them.

Speaking to CBS News journalist Jaala Brown on Thursday, the Democrat said: “I think that this collective American experience [of healthcare], which is so twisted to have in the wealthiest nation in the world, all of that pain that people have experienced is being concentrated on this event. And it’s really important that we take a step back.

“This is not to comment and this is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them.”

The tipster who alerted police of Luigi Mangione’s whereabouts in an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s on Monday may be due a $60,000 payday.

The FBI offered a $50,000 reward for information about the wanted man, while the NYPD offered $10,000. The NYPD will require an arrest and conviction before the money is paid. The same is likely true concerning the FBI reward.

The fast food worker, who remains anonymous, called 911 after recognizing the 26-year-old shooting suspect inside the McDonald’s.

“The individual in Pennsylvania, who called in a tip, is eligible to receive the reward,” the NYC Police Foundation said in a statement to the Washington Post.