NY - UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Midtown. #9 *Arrest*

[10ofRods]

Thanks for the link !

Re-watching his outburst -- LM jumps up a bit into the air and rears his head and shoulders forward whilst yelling, as he's taken into the building.

Even with his spinal pain, aka his ankylosing spondylitis (I've also seen the 'spondy' spelled as 'Spondyethelitis'), he looked like it's not debilitating.
Granted the pain sometimes comes and goes, according to my neighbors' husband; but it sounds like the defense is going to use that as his main prop ?
I wouldn't put it past Luigi to exaggerate his issues.
He's also thrown shade at his mother.
What or whom else is LM going to blame ?
Just pointing that out.
Omo.

Ankylosing spondylitis is not the same condition as spondylolisthesis. And neither of those is the same as spondylitis.

Spondylolisthesis is debilitating, but it is a gradual process (the screws that LM had put in should stop its progress but only has about a 50/50 chance or treating the symptoms or the pain).

I think anyone willing to have those screws put in is likely not exaggerating his condition. Spondylolisthesis can progress at different rates in different people. Ankylosing spondylitis has a series of common comorbidities that can make it a serious disease, indeed (although for many people, it's an arthritic process, which is bad enough).

IMO. My doctor tells me that there's a four stage system for staging spondylolisthesis.

 

[MassGuy]

It's my understanding that in both PA and NY, the Prosecution will need a court order to get that cheek swab. Both states require the swab upon conviction, but while LM is now presumed innocent, I look for him to make a big deal out of each one of his rights.

It'll be interesting to see what the NY court rules - and how quickly that happens.

I wonder if MassGuy knows whether used objects (like a tissue from his jail cell or a toothbrush) can be collected and tested without subpoena/court order.

We haven't heard about the defense contesting any attempt to collect his DNA. My guess is that they got a warrant to collect it before he even had a chance to lawyer up. It's also possible he provided it voluntarily.

That would have been a huge priority; I can't imagine they don't already have it.

 

[Tiff23fr]

Who is hurting right now? Brian Thompson's children, his family members, his friends, his colleagues, and members of civilized society. This is a crime against society as well as a crime against Brian Thompson, that is why he is being prosecuted.

My God. He assassinated a man in cold blood. There is no end that justifies such a means.

ETA: (Not intended to be snarky or anything. I would not want such a perception carried forward as it relates to my view, so thank you for pointing out my words may have been misunderstood.)

My wording must have been off, as I can assure I have no intent to over look the pain of his family, colleagues, etc. I have ZERO support for the criminal or his cause. I do not support violence period.

 

[NuttMegg]

Ex-insurance exec says he’s not shocked by rage people have after CEO killing https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/11/...tive-unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-rage-digvid

 

[fullcanter]

Maybe the surgery was a success initially, but then he deteriorated again over the last year or so? Just speculating.

Agree, I think that’s highly likely and common

 

[10ofRods]

Maybe the surgery was a success initially, but then he deteriorated again over the last year or so? Just speculating.

It's really common for lower back surgery patients to have immense relief right after surgery (the pain of bones healing is less than their situation was beforehand). It's a condition that's common among teachers, so in addition to myself, I know several other people with it, including several who have had the screws put in (two men, two women). It's 50/50 in terms of how they feel about it six months later. Most people report that at least their balance is better, even if the pain returns (there are academic articles about this as well).

Which is why some surgeons don't recommend it. Another common treatment is nerve ablation, which many orthopedic surgeons will recommend, but many insurance companies will not pay for (there are some serious side effects, and surgeons are not allowed to judge the potential for those side effects, at least not according to some insurance companies).

IMO.

 

[SlimPickens]

Mr. Mangione,

You're not special or unique, and no one owed you anything in life other than to leave you alone to your life choices, be they good or bad. In your search to lay the blame at someone else's feet for your life problems, you appear to have left out the most likely culprits - your educators - for it was they who inundated you with the fallacious ideological mantras that seem to have guided your young life. Had you stuck it out for a few more years and felt the freedom (and bliss) that stems from hard work, personal accountability, and accomplishment, your gift of high intelligence would have almost certainly taken you to places most can't even dream of. But now you're in a cage - utterly betrayed by those you entrusted to tell you the truth - because you murdered another human being. Not a competing economic philosophy. Not a revolutionary foil. A human being. Let that sink in.

Sincerely,
Slim

 

[PoirotPink]

Someone said that LM just should have thrown eggs to get his point across.

I've thought about this and there's no way someone getting splattered with an egg gets people talking like this case has done. It's the top story, globally. If the man had been egged, it would probably have gone mostly unreported with a few mentions on social media.

Don't condone violence, but the American healthcare industry seems to exist in a parallel universe. I'm not just talking about claims being denied, but the entire premise of forking out money to middlemen. I don't think people in the US realise that the amount of out of pocket expenses they end up paying (on top of their premiums) is probably more than it costs to have full privately-funded treatment in other first-world countries. And I suspect the only people who think the system works well are those in good health or those profitting from it.

Regardless of what happens in this case, I hope it acts as catalyst for change.

 

[bmacmillan1]

Mr. Mangione,

You're not special or unique, and no one owed you anything in life other than to leave you alone to your life choices, be they good or bad. In your search to lay the blame at someone else's feet for your life problems, you appear to have left out the most likely culprits - your educators - for it was they who inundated you with the fallacious ideological mantras that seem to have guided your young life. Had you stuck it out for a few more years and felt the freedom (and bliss) that stems from hard work, personal accountability, and accomplishment, your gift of high intelligence would have almost certainly taken you to places most can't even dream of. But now you're in a cage - utterly betrayed by those you entrusted to tell you the truth - because you murdered another human being. Not a competing economic philosophy. Not a revolutionary foil. A human being. Let that sink in.

Sincerely,
Slim

I wish he could read and digest this.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Apparently she's trying to walk that back now, as it is being reported that her podcast partnership with Vox Media may have ended due to her outrageous comments about the murder of Brian Thompson.

Was Taylor Lorenz fired over remarks about UnitedHealthca...

The tech journalist has denied the reports that Vox is ending a deal to distribute her "Power User" show.

www.newsweek.com

She's not the only one, there's another "journalist" who has been repeatedly quoted here who has made jokes about the murder. It's outrageous.

 

[Herat]

Agree, I think that’s highly likely and common

He appears to comment about how he was vastly improved after the surgery after a week and was doing well. Poster Jamie737, above, helpfully mentions that even early recovery from this complex and painful surgery takes 6-8 weeks.

He seems to be to be the impatient type, who won't follow orders for rest or rehab, but jumps ahead into activities without proper caution. I would wonder if he actually did some damage or more injury by prematurely returning to activities. All coached by his reliance on posting boards about his disease.

 

[bestill]

No confirmation of that yet. I can’t imagine it’ll take much longer.

The way it was worded sounded like they had determined it was the weapon used in the murder. Of course we need to consider the reporting.

 

[Friday Fan]

The surgery resolved the pain, he said. Within a week, he knew he had made the right choice. This was in the NYT's analysis of his Reddit posts, which were at that point only accessible in a scraped archive. (Never mind, wasn't sure if everyone was caught up)

Back surgery is kinda weird. He was also on forced rest. He is very young and healthy, so his body probably recovered from the trauma of the surgery fairly quickly. However, over time as he is forced back into life the pain may return. We don't know what his pain level was months afterward. It will not be a defense for murder, but in twisted way it can be a motive. Pain can be isolating. Isolating can cause one to go spend more time online and go down rabbit holes etc.

There is a difference between motive and a defense. We like to look at motives here on WS because there are multi-facets to a crime. We wonder and ponder. Why did this person do this? What happened> True crime is also human interest. Motives are generally are not defenses to murder. (In some cases they may be, but not this case)

 

[Columbo Was The Best]

Exclusive | Luigi Mangione resided in this Honolulu apartment in the months before his arrest

The nearly 1,000-square-foot two-bedroom at 801 South St. has sweeping views of the surrounding mountains.

nypost.com

In the months leading up to the high-profile murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, accused killer Luigi Mangione was living nearly half the world away — in a high-rise Honolulu, Hawaii apartment, The Post has learned.

The nearly 1,000-square-foot corner unit at 801 South St. features two bedrooms, two bathrooms and sweeping views stretching out to the surrounding mountains. The monthly sum he paid isn’t clear, though several listings portals, such as Zillow and Redfin, estimate it rented for roughly $4,000 per month.

It’s unclear if Mangione, who records show moved into the apartment in February, had a roommate or lived alone.

This sounds like he had already cashed in the inheritance from his grandparents?

 

[krikken]

As far as making an effective public provocation and triggering the same kinds of discussions, I wonder what would have happened if he had programmed drones to milkshake insurance CEOs while delivering their keynotes. Or pig's blood, something edgier than milkshakes. Or used that social engineering to embarrass the lot of them.

 

[Chimera]

Ankylosing spondylitis is not the same condition as spondylolisthesis. And neither of those is the same as spondylitis.

Spondylolisthesis is debilitating, but it is a gradual process (the screws that LM had put in should stop its progress but only has about a 50/50 chance or treating the symptoms or the pain).

I think anyone willing to have those screws put in is likely not exaggerating his condition. Spondylolisthesis can progress at different rates in different people. Ankylosing spondylitis has a series of common comorbidities that can make it a serious disease, indeed (although for many people, it's an arthritic process, which is bad enough).

IMO. My doctor tells me that there's a four stage system for staging spondylolisthesis.

Oh, ok.
Thanks for clarifying. ^^^

So you're saying what LM is suffering from is Spondylolisthesis, and not Ankylosing Spondylitis ?
I didn't know that. Now I do.
Some of the graphics showing the procedure for A.S. do look somewhat similar.

I'm still not convinced LM is being wholly truthful.
Imo.

 

[Herat]

I figure he wanted a place to shower and change his appearance. And rest.

He may have thought no one would recognize him in a small-ish town. I'm guessing his thinking was a bit hazy by the time he was apprehended.

I also think that he had not thought through any plan of permanently hiding from the world. He may have thought he could use one of his fake ID's to book a motel, if he could find one that would take cash.

Yeah, the criminal mastermind determined that putting on a brown knit cap was going to completely change his appearance.

 

[x_files]

Thank you for explaining my exact feelings that I feel somewhat ashamed of. (I am from a family of three NYPD detectives…..jMy good friend worked for unum and they were given bonuses for denying life saving care. The man shot, and homicide is absolutely always wrong, was making ten million per year. The American tea party that started quite a lot of shooting was about poor Americans being taxed for the rich British.I don’t believe he should be killed or anyone use violence , but of all the murderers out there, this one ,to many,giving up his freedom for life with some messiah delusions, perhaps is the most pitied.

I wish "they were given bonuses for denying life-saving care" this was NOT a legal practice.

 

[Janitor101]

A dog walker in New York is claiming he found a bag of bullets.

 

[Chimera]

Mr. Mangione,

You're not special or unique, and no one owed you anything in life other than to leave you alone to your life choices, be they good or bad. In your search to lay the blame at someone else's feet for your life problems, you appear to have left out the most likely culprits - your educators - for it was they who inundated you with the fallacious ideological mantras that seem to have guided your young life. Had you stuck it out for a few more years and felt the freedom (and bliss) that stems from hard work, personal accountability, and accomplishment, your gift of high intelligence would have almost certainly taken you to places most can't even dream of. But now you're in a cage - utterly betrayed by those you entrusted to tell you the truth - because you murdered another human being. Not a competing economic philosophy. Not a revolutionary foil. A human being. Let that sink in.

Sincerely,
Slim

Well said.
Imo.