Luigi Mangione latest: Top New York attorney tapped by CEO murder suspect as ‘defense fund’ donations mount

NYPD officials said Luigi Mangione’s family has not filed any reports. It comes after pictures of their relative were splashed across news channels in the hours after the shooting.

Police said they received more than 200 tips while searching for Mangione, but none came from a family with the same name, according to USA Today.

It wasn’t until the suspect was spotted in Pennsylvania that police swooped in to make an arrest, nearly a week after the murder.

Luigi Mangione’s potential motives in the slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson remain unclear, police say.

There is “no indication” that the shooting suspect, who is believed to have undergone back surgery last year, was ever a customer of UnitedHealthcare, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.

He said the findings did not appear to indicate that Mangione had a grudge against Thompson, who was killed in midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4, but that he targeted the company because of its size and because he had prior knowledge of the conference being held.

“We have no indication that he was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare, but he mentions that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America,” he told NBC New York.

UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UntiedHealthcare, said Luigi Mangione is not a client 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 there was “no indication” that Mangione was registered with UnitedHealthcare, whose CEO was killed Dec. 4 in midtown Manhattan.

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

More than $100,000 has been raised to pay Luigi Mangione’s legal bills as he faces charges in Pennsylvania and New York.

On December 4, the legal committee launched a public appeal on the Christian fundraising site GiveSendGo, which raised a huge sum after the 26-year-old was traded in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday. The fundraising goal is $200,000.

“We are committed to ensuring that he receives a fair trial with competent legal representation,” said Carol Sherman, organizer of the Dec. 4 Legal Committee.

The group says the proceeds will go to “other political prisoners in the US” if Mangione’s charges are dismissed or he declines the funds.

The CEO of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, has admitted that the US health care system is “not working as it should.”

Writing ua The New York Times published Friday morning, Andrew Witty lamented the loss of Brian Thompson, United Healthcare’s chief executive officer, and addressed America’s healthcare system as a “rag.”

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

“We know the health care system isn’t working as it should, and we understand people’s frustrations with it,” he wrote. “No one would design a system like we have. And nobody did. It’s a patchwork built over decades.”

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

“It’s clear we’re not there yet. We understand and share the desire to build a healthcare system that works better for everyone. That is the purpose of our organization.”

The family of Luigi Mangione is said to have hired a private investigator to hunt down suspected killer Brian Thompson after he stopped communicating with friends and family late last year, a friend said.

A friend who allegedly studied with Mangione at Gilman School claimed he lost contact with his family in late 2023.

“I knew there were some problems,” said a schoolmate Daily Mail. “He didn’t talk to his family and nobody could find him.

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

The friend claimed they were told Mangione was struggling with pain medication for an injury caused by the accident.

“Some accident happened. I knew he was hurt a while back and that led to the painkiller thing and then the whole family,” he said. “I can’t confirm what it was specifically, but I know he was estranged.”

The Mail claims another schoolmate said he heard about Mangione’s alleged use of painkillers for a chronic spinal injury.