A graduate student accused of murdering a chief executive may have gone “completely insane” after a harrowing back operation, friends have claimed.
X-ray images posted on social media by suspected killer Luigi Mangione show he suffered from a crooked spine, which reportedly worsened after a surfing accident.
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Luigi Mangione has been charged with the murder of CEO Brian Thompson Credit: Mega Agency
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Image showing the four screws in Mangione’s back after suffering from spondylolisthesis Credit: Twitter
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Suspected killer reportedly injured himself after surfing accident in HawaiiCredit: Mega Agency
Those investigating the 26-year-old murder suspect now say this serious back injury has led to a worrying spiral over the past 12 months.
Mangione reportedly suffered from spondylolisthesis – a spinal problem – and had four screws inserted deep into his spine to ease the pain.
Mangione’s former colleagues appear to have told reporters that the surgery went wrong and that it could have pushed the Maryland man over the edge.
He was arrested Monday and charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Chilling footage captured the moment a man believed to be Mangione shot dead Thompson in New York.
Investigators continue to investigate the cold-blooded murder, and Mangione’s alleged motives are still unclear.
What we know so far…
A botched operation is currently one of the leading theories.
Mangione is said to have moved to Japan shortly after the surfing accident and lived an almost quiet life in seclusion away from family and friends.
One source, citing former classmates, said they felt the wealthy ex-celebrant had “completely lost his mind” after the operation.
They believe that after that ordeal, “everything changed” in his life, which led to him becoming a suspect in the murder.
The theory is further supported by a look at Mangione’s GoodReads history, which shows multiple books on back pain management.
Luigi Mangione, 26, charged with killing CEO Brian Thompson after being caught at McDonald’s
He is also said to have stopped contacting his family and friends about six months ago – around the same time he reportedly moved to Japan.
A number of posts on Xu from earlier this year show people tagging the 26-year-old and asking him if he’s okay.
One read: “Hey are you ok? No one has heard from you in months and apparently your family is looking for you.”
Another said, “Hey man, I need you to call me. I don’t know if you’re okay or if you’re just in an isolated place with no service.
“But I haven’t heard from you in months.”
Details surrounding the surfing accident that caused spinal problems are not yet being released, but sources say it happened in Honolulu, Hawaii.
This matches the last known address police have for Mangione, which was also in the state capital.
Mangione was said to be part of the community in town and even opened up about his back problems while in Hawaii.
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Mangione is taken to a police station in Pennsylvania on MondayCredit: Reuters
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His friends say the botched operation may have driven him ‘crazy’ Credit: Mega Agency
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The moment a man, believed to be Mangione, shot and killed CEO Thompson Credit: NYPD
The founder of Surfbreak in Honolulu, RJ Martin, has spoken out since Mangione was named and recalled some of the conversations he had with the suspect.
He said, according to the New York Times: “His spine was somehow misaligned.
“He said his lower vertebrae were almost half an inch apart and I think he pinched a nerve.
“Sometimes he would do well and sometimes not.”
Martin, who also shared a room with the suspected masked killer, says he even commented how his back prevented him from having sex.
“He knew that dating and physical intimacy with his back condition was not possible,” he said.
Officers are investigating numerous leads following Mangione’s capture.
When police searched him at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, they found a ghost gun similar to the weapon used in the murder and documents that appeared to be related to the murder.
hey are you ok No one has heard from you in months and apparently your family is looking for you
Mangione’s death on October 30, 2024
One handwritten document allegedly indicated “motivation and mindset” and berated the healthcare industry, according to police.
The manifesto allegedly said: “These parasites wanted.
“I apologize for the argument and the trauma, but it had to be done.”
The message also showed him allegedly admitting that he acted alone and was self-funded, officers who saw the document told CNN.
Another key mystery is about the bullets used by the killer.
Police found three live 9mm bullets and three spent shell casings outside the Manhattan Hilton Hotel where Thompson was killed.
The words “deny,” “reject” and “defend” were found on the shell casings, police sources told the New York Post.
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Brian Thompson, 50, was shot and killed as he walked into an investor meeting in ManhattanCredit: AP
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Investigators are said to have had no inkling that Mangione might be the killer, and he wasn’t even on their list of wanted suspects.
His capture came as a complete surprise as the NYPD thanked a McDonald’s worker who called police to alert them to his presence.
This comes because Mangione was considered by his family, friends and everyone who knew him to be a beloved, smart and wealthy man.
He was born and raised in Maryland where he graduated from the Gilman School in Baltimore.
Prior to that, he had no criminal record and was said to have been an exemplary student, football player and all-around athlete in high school.
Afterward, Mangione graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied computer and information science, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He also holds a master’s degree from an Ivy League school.
Mangione was reportedly a data engineer at an automotive 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’s what we know so far about Thompson’s murder.
Monday, December 2 – Thompson travels from his home in Minnesota to New York for an investor conference in midtown Manhattan.
Wednesday, December 4, 6:45 a.m. – Thompson walks from his hotel across the street to the New York Hilton Midtown and is shot dead by a masked shooter. The execution was caught on surveillance, and the suspect was seen riding his bicycle toward Central Park. The police launched a city-wide search for the killer.
11:30 a.m. – Cops released disturbing images of the execution, offered a reward for information and desperately asked New Yorkers to keep their eyes out.
12:00 PM – Thompson’s estranged wife Paulette reveals that her husband was threatened before he was shot.
2:45 p.m. – Cops have released more gruesome pictures of the suspect ordering at Starbucks, partially showing his face. The US Sun confirmed the cafe was just two blocks away from the shooting, but it’s unclear when he stopped by.
December 5, 6am – Reports claim that the words “deny”, “remove” and “defend” were engraved on bullets and shell casings left behind by the killer. These words echo the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which talks about the shortcomings of the healthcare industry. The author of the book had no comments on the reports.
8 a.m. – Cops search a hostel in New York’s Upper West Side where the suspect is said to be staying. He is believed to have worn a mask most of the time he was there.
11.00 – The picture shows a person of interest in Thompson’s murder. In the photo, he is wearing a hood, but you could see his full face breaking into a bright smile. However, no one has been arrested in the investigation.
Afternoon – Police confirm the suspect arrived in New York City on a Greyhound bus on November 24th. It was also confirmed that the suspect dropped his cell phone near the scene of the shooting.
December 6, 3:00 PM – Police announce they believe the killer left New York on an interstate bus. They released multiple surveillance images showing him driving a taxi to the George Washington Bridge bus station.
December 9 – Luigi Mangione, 26, was 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 to kill Thompson.
He was later charged with Thompson’s murder.
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Person of interest wanted by copsCredit: NYPD
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Official photo by Luigi Mangione Credit: Altoona Police
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education