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- [00:00]
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Foreign hey everyone, it's Katie. If you're loving Crime House Daily, you need to check out Crimes of, the newest show from Crime House. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season from Crimes of the paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances and more. Their first season is Crimes of Infamy, the true stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains. Crimes of is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or find them on YouTube at Crime House Studios. New episodes out every Tuesday. This is Crime House.
- [00:59]
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We have breaking news. A judge has dismissed terrorism charges against the suspect in the UnitedHealthcare CEO murder case. That suspect appeared in a Manhattan courtroom for the first time in months. In his decision today, the judge said Mangione was clearly expressing an animus toward the healthcare industry. But the evidence failed to prove he committed the crime to coerce or intimidate a civilian population.
- [01:20]
A
In New York City, a CEO is gunned down in the street and now a 27 year old man is facing trial. A manifesto, bullet casings, a backpack filled with monopoly money and a false identity may lead us closer to the truth and the motive. Hi, I'm Katie, a true crime analyst, self defense instructor and fierce advocate for victims. And this is Crime House Daily, your essential true crime companion. Every weekday morning and night here at Crime House Daily, we will be taking an investigative approach to true crime. We will be staying on the cases and trials making headlines now where justice is still in motion, arrests are still being made, and where new evidence is still coming to light. Every morning we will make sure you're up to speed on today's biggest crimes with our first watch episodes. And every night we will go deeper with our night Watch episodes. If you want to follow a case from the first 911 call to the final verdict, you're in the right place. Make sure to follow Crime House Daily wherever you get your podcasts. Leave A review hit five stars. And for ad free listening, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. For video content, head to our YouTube channel, Crime House Daily. This episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking news. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in the court of law. Today we're diving into a case that that continues to leave the nation divided. Some are adoring fans of 27 year old Luigi Mangione while others think he should be locked up forever. As the media frenzy begins to ramp up ahead of his murder trial, we'll uncover everything you need to know, especially since he made a court appearance in Manhattan just recently. A judge dismissed two of the most serious charges against him. So we have to wonder, how did this Ivy League graduate turn into a CEO killer? But more importantly, why is this case so polarizing to the public?
- [03:58]
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- [04:27]
A
Now onto our main story. And this is one of those cases that completely broke the Internet and sparked passionate commentary on the state of our country, our healthcare system, greed, class and morality. That's right, we're talking about Luigi Mangione. Chances are that even if you aren't familiar with his case, you've heard his name before. Luigi became infamous in December 2024 after he was accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Bernie Brian Thompson. From TikTok edits to heated Reddit discussions, everyone had an opinion on him. And it's still going on today as people wonder, if Luigi Mangione is guilty, does that make him a cold blooded killer? Or is he actually some kind of vigilante hero? Before we tackle those questions, let's go to Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024. It's a city of a million little stories of people on their way to work, of tourists, and of business leaders. The morning of December 4, 2024 was no different. The city is waking up, people are getting their morning coffee, and the hustle and bustle is just beginning. One of those people is Brian Thompson. He's the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, a massive health insurance company. According to those who knew Brian, he was a devoted father and husband who worked hard for everything he earned. He was the valedictorian of his high school in 1993 and graduated at the top of his class at the University of Iowa. After that, Brian made his way into the business world. He climbed the corporate ladder until he was appointed CEO of United Healthcare in 2021. Which brings us back to the morning of December 4, 2024. Brian is in New York for an annual investors meeting. He's staying at the Marriott Hotel within walking distance to the New York Hilton Midtown where the conference is being held. As CEO, it's crucial to make sure everything is ready. So just before 7am on December 4, he leaves his hotel and heads down West 54th street on on foot. As he approaches the entrance to the Hilton, a masked man crosses the street just behind him. He's got a gun in his hands and he fires it three times before walking away. Brian falls to the ground, shot in the back and leg and is rushed to the hospital. He's pronounced dead just a few minutes later. It seems like the killer has vanished into thin air. But here's the thing about New York. There are cameras everywhere. Police get to work and they quickly find surveillance footage of the entire incident. They see the masked man shoot Brian from about 20ft away with a suppressed 9 millimeter pistol and they even track him as he flees the scene. But the most chilling part. The three bullet casings on the ground have a message inscribed on them. Each has a single word, deny, defend and depose, which immediately hints at the killer's motive. Those words are reminiscent of the phrase delay, deny, defend. In the insurance world, it's a saying that refers to insurance companies predatory practices. To avoid paying out claims, they delay coverage, deny coverage and then make clients fight them in court, which they know most people can't afford to do. After he shot Thompson, the killer grabbed a bike and fled the scene through Central park, where he left a second clue. A backpack full of Monopoly money. In 2023, the DOJ launched an antitrust case against UnitedHealth Group for being a monopoly. Between the casings and the money, the the police are pretty sure this is a targeted attack by someone with a grievance against the health insurance industry. Especially with how UnitedHealthcare conducted its business. On Brian Thompson's watch, UnitedHealthcare had implemented a very specific AI software, one that allegedly led to significant increase in claim denials between 2020 and 2022. Not only that, but in 2023 a class action lawsuit was filed against UnitedHealthcare accusing them of purposefully denying claims to people in need. UHC also denies more claims than any other insurance company. The health insurance industry denial rate is about 15%, but UHC sits at 30%. And a lot of this happened while Brian was CEO. This is a high profile murder and the NYPD are under pressure so they launch a full on manhunt. They decide to release the surveillance footage in hopes that the public will be able to identify the suspect right away. It goes viral but not for the reasons they had hoped. In one of the surveillance photos, the killer had pulled down his mask and to smile at a hostel worker. And a lot of people think he's hot. Four days, he's all people are talking about. Besides his looks, every part of this case is being dissected online. How has he been able to evade the NYPD for days despite this massive manhunt? Is he a professional assassin? What's the meaning behind the monopoly money? People wonder who this guy is and what led him to murder a man in broad daylight. Despite all of the noise, the NYPD still hasn't come up with anything. And it seems like he might actually get away with it. That is, until December 9, 2024, five days after the shooting. That day, a tip comes in from a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 275 miles west of where the shooting occurred. A customer sees someone sitting at one of the tables who looks just like the suspect. He's got what seems like the same jacket, the mask, the bushy eyebrows, everything. The customer jokes that the man looks like the shooter. But a McDonald's employee overhears this and calls the police. Officers move in on the McDonald's, and they spot the suspect right away. He's sitting in the back, casually on a laptop. They approach him and tell him to lower the mask. He complies, and the officers observe that he's shaking. He is very nervous. He hands over his id. It's a New Jersey driver's license with the name Mark Rosario, but it's fake. When they bring him into the station, they identify him as Louis Luigi Mangione. And when they search his backpack, they're certain this is their guy, because what does he have in addition to his fake id? A passport and a ghost gun. If you don't know what a ghost gun is, it is a firearm that is homemade. It has no serial numbers, there's no background check required, and it is extremely hard to trace. You cannot run ballistics on a ghost gun. Luigi's Ghost gun is 3D printed, which accompanies a matching suppressor. And that is the same type of weapon used in Brian Thompson's murder. The police also find a handwritten document, which the media immediately dubs a manifesto. It's pretty short, only 262 words, but it's long enough to hold some potentially incriminating language, like, quote, I wasn't working with anyone. It had to be done. Not only that, but Luigi also wrote about the healthcare system being parasitic and too powerful. So when you're talking about motive, this checks a major box. With the gun, you've got your means, and clearly the killer got his opportunity. And if the authorities have any lingering doubts, if Luigi Mangione was Brian Thompson's killer, what they find out next puts their questions to rest.
- [13:15]
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Well, I was down on my last dollar Then I started saving because the bank said fiscal restraint is what you're craving so I put my earnings in a high yield account Let the savings compound and the interest mount I'm optimizing cash flow putting debt in check now time is my praying and not a pain in the neck and we've got a little cash to rebuild. The old boring money moves make kind of lame songs but they sound pretty.
- [13:37]
A
Sweet to your wallet brilliantly boring since 1865.
- [13:42]
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- [14:15]
A
Along with Luigi Mangione's manifesto, police recover a spiral notebook which reportedly includes one particularly chilling line, quote, kill the CEO at his own bean counting conference. Add it all together and it's definitely not looking good for Luigi. The NYPD commissioner herself, Jessica Tisch, definitely thinks he's the CEO killer. She says Luigi's manifesto illuminates his, quote, motivation and mindset, which opens him up to terrorism charges. And she's definitely not a fan of the mythology building around him.
- [14:56]
B
We have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold blooded murder. Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack. People ghoulishly plastered posters threatening the CEOs other CEOs with an X over Mr. Thompson's picture as though he was some sort of a sick trophy.
- [15:21]
A
But that doesn't stop all of the people who are invested in this case from wanting to find out more about him. And what they learn about him only makes people even more interested in this case. So who is Luigi Mangione anyway? He's from a prominent wealthy family in Baltimore, Maryland. His grandfather, Nick Mangione, was a successful real estate developer. And Luigi's not just rich, he's smart. He was the valedictorian of his class at the Elite Gilman High School in Baltimore and went on to get both a bachelor's and a master's degree in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania with a focus on artificial intelligence. It's fair to say this is not the profile you'd expect for a murder suspect, But Luigi has personally had a lot of bad experiences with the health care system. Luigi had severe chronic back pain that interfered with his Life, and on the 4th of July, 2023, his back was injured and he had to go to the er. The more people learn about Luigi, the more opinions are divided, especially on social media. On one side, there are those who are horrified by the murder of Brian Thompson and agree that it rises to the level of domestic terror. Others see Luigi as a vigilante hero Jessica Tisch warned everyone to reject. In his manifesto, it says he was originally thinking of planting a bomb, but that he didn't want any innocent people to die. They praise him for taking a stand against the broken health care system, and they see Brian Thompson's death as collateral damage in a larger fight. They even argue that school shooters aren't even labeled terrorists and that he only took the life of one person. A person, some go as far to argue has indirectly taken more lives through denials of claims. And they also point out the fact that the resources spent on this manhunt would probably have never been given to a regular person. Luigi's supporters have run online campaigns raising thousands of dollars for his legal defense fund. And so far, he's needed every penny. Unsurprisingly, Luigi is hit with some serious charges. On December 17, 2024, less than two weeks after the shooting, the Manhattan DA's office indicted him on 11 counts, including murder in furtherance of terrorism. Four months later, in April of 2025, he's indicted on federal charges, including murder through use of a firearm. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. So the stakes are as high as they can get, and the whole world is watching. Despite all of the evidence he had on him when he was arrested, Luigi pleads not guilty.
- [18:24]
F
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- [18:47]
B
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- [18:52]
A
Taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com as of today, Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty on all counts. Most recently, he appeared in Manhattan this month before a judge who dismissed two of the most serious charges against him. He said there wasn't enough evidence to rule that his first and second degree murder charges were vehicles for acts of terrorism. But this battle isn't just playing out in the court of law. Unsurprisingly, it continues to be a topic in the court of public opinion, too. Prosecutors claim that Luigi has, quote, openly cultivated supporters by setting up a website where he has cataloged all the supportive letters he has received and that he's encouraging others to resort to violence to achieve, quote, ideological or political objectives. To prove this point, prosecutors recently pointed to a deadly shooting at NFL headquarters where the gunman, Shane Tamura, etched the words deny, defend, depose onto his bullet casings the same words found on the casings found at Brian Thompson's murder scene. It's a completely bizarre situation where Luigi's social media fame and public support are being used as evidence of his dangerousness. His own legal defense team even maintains the website luigimangioniinfo.com to combat what they call misinformation and provide a platform for his supporters. Speaking of supporters, there are a lot of them. Within days of his arrest, Luigi's X account gained a thousand followers a minute. He became a symbol for so many people who feel powerless against the healthcare system. And then there's the other side of it. His looks. There's a long tradition of convicts getting a lot of attention for their looks. Think Richard Ramirez, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer. But part of that fascination was tied to their monstrosity with Luigi. His supporters relate to him beyond his physical appearance. Luigi is also an Ivy League graduate and a tech bro from a prominent family. This background makes his alleged actions even more shocking and to some, more relatable because he doesn't fit the typical profile of a violent criminal. He's seen by his supporters as one of us, a young person who understands social media and has had to navigate a broken system. So far, this has translated into a lot of financial support for Luigi's defense team. According to our research, the public has given him a whopping $1.2 million. And even though a trial hasn't even been set yet for the state or federal charges, he's definitely putting that money to good use. Up to this point, Luigi's cases have Mostly played out behind closed doors, with a lot of motions being filed and letters being sent back and forth between the prosecution and the defense. But remember, during Luigi's most recent public court appearance, a judge tossed out his first and second degree murder charges as acts of terrorism. Luigi said nothing during the hearing. The most recent development in this case is that Luigi's lawyers are are arguing that the Manhattan DA's office improperly accessed his medical records. If this is proven to be true, they're not ruling anything out. They might try to suppress evidence, seek the prosecution's team's recusal, or even have the indictment dismissed entirely. But assuming this does go to trial, it's sure to be one of the biggest trials in recent memory. It feels like the story has transcended Luigi Mangione's innocence or guilt. It's about the state of our society, the power of a single act of violence, and what happens when the Internet takes a tragedy and turns it into a movement. Though let's not forget the victim at the center of this Brian Thompson. Whatever you may think of him as a businessman, he was a beloved father, partner, and friend. Regarding legal proceedings, there are so many questions to answer. First up, which trial will actually happen first? Since he's facing the death penalty in federal court, Luigi's lawyers are pushing for that trial to happen first. If he's found not guilty, it could presumably make it a lot harder for the state of New York to win its case. Whatever happens, it won't be for a while. It's speculated that whichever trial happens first won't be until sometime in 2026 at the earliest. But in the meantime, there will be plenty of updates that the Crime House team will continue to stay on top of. Luigi's next court appearance is slated for December 1, so who knows what will happen between now and then? As always, we'll keep you updated and be sure to follow us. Rimehouse24. Seven for breaking alerts. Tomorrow we're diving into the Devil's Den murder, where a couple was stabbed to death on a hike. A suspect is currently being held without bond. Find out who it is and why investigators are still left scratching their heads. What did you think of today's case? Drop your theories in the comments and follow us rimehouse24.7 on TikTok and Instagram and subscribe on YouTube CrimeHouseDaily for ad free listening join Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You stay curious and I'll stay on the case. I'll see you tomorrow.