The suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Luigi Mangione took a trip, vanished completely from the US, and then abruptly came back for allegedly killing Brian Thompson.
Before committing the crime, according to the New York Times, Mangione was on a solo trip to Asian countries, visiting countries including Japan and Thailand.
On April 27, whilst hiking in Japan’s Nara region, he sent an audio message to a friend stating, “I want some time to zen out.” He continued, “There’s like these tiny little villages here, on the side of the cliffs — I’ll send a photo. It’s super lush, there’s this beautiful river that cuts through the gorge.”
He added, “I think I want to stay here for like a month, and just meditate and just hot spring, and do some writing.”
Later, whilst at Mount Omine in Japan, he messaged another friend about the challenging landscape and its prohibition of female climbers, stating, “This mountain is peak misogyny,” and “I needed to stop getting distracted by women lol.”
Subsequently, communication with his social circle diminished. A friend’s June message asking about his whereabouts went unanswered, and by late summer, his family was contacting friends regarding his prolonged silence.
After being reported missing in California on November 18, Mangione appeared in New York City, where he allegedly shot the UnitedHealthcare executive on December 4.
Investigators are examining Mangione’s activities prior to the incident, including a possible connection to a back injury he sustained in July last year, potentially motivating animosity towards the healthcare sector.
Police are analysing his social media posts containing spinal X-rays and a document expressing anger towards insurance companies. An NYPD official noted his posts about spinal surgery and his apparent grievances with the healthcare industry.
Mangione, apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a five-day search, remains in custody without bail on weapons and forgery charges. Manhattan authorities are working to transfer him to New York to face murder charges.