The suspected killer of UnitedHealthCare’s CEO had his own health problems and even needed surgery to try to ease his pain, a new report says.
CNN interviewed a friend of Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing UHC CEO Brian Thompson, and found that the alleged killer had been dealing with back problems since a surfing incident in 2022.
A friend, RJ Martin, told the network that at the time he was living with Mangione in a shared workplace in Honolulu, Hawaii.
One day, Martin said, Mangione came home from a surfing lesson during which he suffered a back injury that left him bedridden for about a week. Martin called the experience “traumatic” for Mangione, who was only in his twenties and unable to do so. was to do basic things.
At some point, Martin and Mangione split up, with the two last communicating via text earlier this year. Martin said Mangione sent him an X-ray after the alleged killer had back surgery.
Martin said Mangione’s back looked “disgusting” with huge screws embedded in his spine.
On Monday morning … Mangione was arrested while sitting at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pa. An employee recognized Mangione from the wanted posters widely circulated after Thompson’s murder and contacted local police, who responded and handcuffed the suspect.
Authorities have recovered the gun Mangione is believed to have used in the killing and are holding him on gun charges in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, the Manhattan district attorney has also charged Mangione with murder and other serious crimes as he awaits extradition in New York.
