New York, United States

Advertisment

Law enforcement officials in the United States (US) said on Wednesday (Dec 11) that fingerprints found at the crime scene of the murder of UnitedHealthcare insurance unit's chief executive officer (CEO) Brian Thompson matched those of the suspect Luigi Mangione.

This development was reported by CNN. As per a report by the American network, the discovery of the fingerprints marked the first positive forensic match tying Mangione, 26, directly to the scene where Thompson was killed.

The report added that this development came as authorities continued to dig into Mangione, who remained in custody. He faces murder and gun-related charges.

Advertisment

Mangione intends to fight his extradition to New York

Mangione was arrested earlier this week and now intends to fight his extradition to New York to face murder charges from Pennsylvania.

Also read | UnitedHealthcare CEO murder: Alleged killer Luigi Mangione's family 'shocked, devastated' by his arrest

Advertisment

As he entered the courthouse surrounded by officers, Mangione shouted in the direction of journalists, yelling in part, "...completely unjust and an insult to the intelligence of the American people!" It was not clear what he was referring to.

Mangione's refusal to waive extradition on Tuesday triggers a formal process that could last weeks, though he is unlikely to succeed in preventing his eventual transfer, legal experts told the news agency Reuters.

Alleged killer comes from prominent Maryland family

Mangione comes from a prominent family in the US state of Maryland. His grandfather, Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. 

One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione. 

According to the news agency Associated Press, Mangione was the valedictorian of his elite Maryland prep school and earned his undergraduate and postgraduate in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania.

From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu.

A spokesperson from Surfbreak told the Associated Press that Mangione underwent a background check just like other residents of the living space.

“Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints. There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed," the spokesperson said.

At Surfbreak, the spokesperson learned that Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, including surfing.

What led to Mangione committing the crime?

Citing a law enforcement bulletin, the report said that Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed.

Also watch | Who is Luigi Mangione?

An analysis of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts revealed the 26-year-old man wrote that the US has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not.

(With inputs from agencies)