Police announced Wednesday that fingerprints found on a water bottle and protein bar near the murder scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson match those of Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect arrested Monday in Pennsylvania after a weeklong manhunt.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed the forensic breakthrough alongside ballistics evidence linking Mangione’s seized firearm to shell casings from the December 4 shooting outside a Manhattan hotel. The evidence provides the first physical connection between Mangione and the targeted killing of the 50-year-old healthcare executive.
Mangione, arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, faces multiple charges in both states as his lawyers fight extradition to New York. “He’s pleading not guilty to those offences,” defense attorney Thomas Dickey said. “I haven’t seen any evidence that he is the shooter.” Dickey later told ABC News that similar-looking guns shouldn’t lead to rushed judgments.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul pledged to expedite the extradition process. “I am co-ordinating with the District Attorney’s Office and will sign a request for a governor’s warrant to ensure this individual is tried and held accountable,” she said. Defense lawyers have two weeks to challenge the transfer.
Police discovered three handwritten pages in Mangione’s possession that appeared to claim responsibility for Thompson’s killing, expressing frustrations with the U.S. healthcare system. “He does make some indication that he’s frustrated with the healthcare system,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told Good Morning America. “He was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate America and in particular the healthcare industry.”
Former friends told the BBC that Mangione, who holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, had suffered from a back injury requiring spinal surgery in 2023. His mother had reported him missing in San Francisco last month, having not heard from him since July.
“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted by his cousin. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”
Thompson’s widow, Paulette, had previously revealed he received threats related to medical coverage before his death, though prosecutors haven’t suggested a specific motive.
