Summary

Luigi Mangione, charged with the December 2024 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, released his first public statement through a new website launched by his defense team.

He expressed gratitude for widespread support and acknowledged the letters he has received. The website provides case updates and a fundraiser, which has raised over $400,000.

Mangione has gained a following among those frustrated with the U.S. healthcare system. A poll found 41% of voters under 30 viewed the assassination as acceptable.

His next court date is Feb. 21.

  • Hlodwig@lemmy.world
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    13 days ago

    Still dont get it why he is still charged over somthg he obviously didnt do. Is justice sociale bad in the US, why people dont react. Like O.J. Simpson case but in reverse, everybody knows Luigi is not guilty…

    • Carmakazi@lemmy.world
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      13 days ago

      These images could be false leads just as much as Luigi could be a false arrest. People assume these pictures are “the guy” just because they were presented first.

      • Hlodwig@lemmy.world
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        12 days ago

        Bruh you never considered he wanted to make himself look like the suspect, the pics of the suspect were all over the news before he got arrested. He had plenty of time to take similar (not exactly the same) outfits, a gun and write a manifesto…

        We are talking about facts, what are his motivation is not important.

        He is not a hero, he is either a deranged man wanting to get fame or a stupid chap that wanted to make fun of the police. And do you want to know how i know that? Cause there is a factual proof in the actual recording of the suspect comitting the crime… And its obviously not him… And btw he cant speak to the press, you dont know if he will plead guilty or not…

          • Hlodwig@lemmy.world
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            12 days ago

            Then prove your point, shoudnt be too difficult to explain how he grew a mono eyebrow and got taller overnight, if this is flat earther level…

            • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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              12 days ago

              Yeah - I don’t discuss things with conspiracy theorists. You can make up bullshit MUCH faster than I can even start to dig up actual evidence and support for my arguments. And after I’ve spent hours generating a fact-supported response you’ll just say “OH THE POLICE LIE SO I’M GOING TO IGNORE YOU” or something. I’ve been there, got the t-shirt, and will not return.

              • Hlodwig@lemmy.world
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                12 days ago

                Bruh… The police didnt said anything… Thats the point of a trial, its not public. And tbh the suspect pics are true, they never lied. Its the prosecutor who is dumb as fuck for charging Luigi while not considering the main element : recordings of the crime.

                Chill down buddy, of you dont want to discuss, dont comment…

    • Ashu@lemmy.zip
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      13 days ago

      Being the devil’s advocate here, but he could have discarded the grey bag and grabbed a black bag with more normal stuff. This image doesn’t quite support the statement. There must be other, more powerful evidence of his innocence.

        • Verdant Banana@lemmy.world
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          13 days ago

          incorrect it is on the defense

          The burden of proof is on the prosecutor for criminal cases, and the defendant is presumed innocent. If the claimant fails to discharge the burden of proof to prove their case, the claim will be dismissed.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burden_of_proof_(law)

          even wikipedia has it wrong

          in the United States it is on the defense to pay for and to provide evidence because the prosecutor makes up anything they want along with whatever the jackboots in the case states happens with the judge going along with it in complicity and the defendant is presumed guilty throughout the entire process and even if the defendant proves their innocence the claim may not be dismissed

      • AbidanYre@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        There must be other, more powerful evidence of his innocence.

        That’s not how the justice system is supposed to work.

      • Hlodwig@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        Bruh… Its not about the backpack, its not the same face, at all… Eyebrows and color skin are completly different. And on the full body pic of the suspect we Can see the suspect IS way smaller than Luigi…

        • kn33@lemmy.world
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          13 days ago

          Lighting changes skin tone a lot, and jackets cover up the build of the body. I’m not saying for sure it is him, but I also am not sure this disproves it being him.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        Nah.

        That’s not how this shit works homie.

        Luigi doesn’t have to prove his innocence, the prosecutor has to prove he’s guilty beyond reasonable doubt…

        Like, you’re literally completey opposite of reality with your statement. So in a way you couldn’t be more wrong

        • rumba@lemmy.zip
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          13 days ago

          Kinda, there’s a lot more play here than want you two are talking about.

          Prosecution has:

          • an online substack manifesto from well before the event and probably internet archive to prove the date.
          • A copy of or electronic records of a fake name and ID used to book a hostel in the city.
          • Maybe video of him entering that hostel
          • A copy of an or electronic records of a fake name and ID used to book travel out of the city
          • Him on video getting off the bus from New York City.
          • A likely image of him unmasked in the area and being at the scene in like (If not exact) clothing
          • They have a manifesto “found” with him self incriminating and apologizing

          Now, He’s innocent until proven guilty, But that is not to say that he doesn’t need to disprove all this mountain of evidence against him if he is going to get off based on evidential findings. You don’t have to prove your innocence, But he’s going to have to Make a shadow of down and face of overwhelming evidence.

          But honestly between you me and a couple hundred thousand of our best friends here, I suspect there’s not a chance in hell of him getting off in that way. It’s going to be jury nullification or something spectacular, or he’s getting life.

          • WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works
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            12 days ago

            Most of that just shows he was in NYC at the time. The dude is a bi kid that was estranged from his family. His family was trying to get in touch with him for nearly a year, and apparently he’s been living as a drifter in that time. His family is also very wealthy and has the resources to track him down. Is it not possible that he was just trying to hide from his family? Maybe he’s a queer kid and his family rejected that, and he’s broken contact with them. Traveling via a fake ID is a minor crime, but it doesn’t prove that he’s a murderer.

            Equally plausible is that the police started putting on the media photos of every person that vaguely resembles the shooter that they could. Luigi saw his own picture on the news, and rightfully freaked the fuck out and decided to flee the city. And the online manifesto? Again, millions of people have written things that could similarly damn them.

            Remember, the killer deliberately dressed in an outfit that hundreds of men are wearing in NYC at any given time. Unless you have a continuous video of Luigi going from the hostel, to the crime scene, shooting the guy, then leaving…you don’t actually have much. Yes, I think the police can prove quite easily that Luigi was in the city, and that he was there on a fake ID. But they have precious little actually linking him directly to the crime.

    • yarr@feddit.nl
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      13 days ago

      OK, to play devil’s advocate, if it wasn’t Luigi in the picture, who was it? For what purpose was Luigi in town? I understand that in the legal system, the defense doesn’t need to PROVE who else did it and that they just need to create reasonable doubt… but what’s your take?

      • ripcord@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        if it wasn’t Luigi in the picture, who was it?

        What are you looking for here? A name? How would we know?

        • yarr@feddit.nl
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          13 days ago

          Well, if it wasn’t Luigi, then who was it? Why would someone go through the trouble of finding someone that looks just like him? Who would that be… why was Luigi picked for a scapegoat? If the contention of OP is “Luigi isn’t the guy”… then who is? From my standpoint, Luigi had the means, the motive and the motivation due to his personal history and abilities.

          I realize that in court his defense won’t have to say “we have proof it was this other guy” but I’m not in court right now. If OP doesn’t think Luigi did it, then who else would have?

          • whotookkarl@lemmy.world
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            13 days ago

            Make up your own mind based on the facts and their justifications, but the reason the rules are like that in court is because punishing people for crimes they didn’t commit is injustice, even if you don’t ever find the actual culprit.

            • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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              13 days ago

              The sad thing is that a victims family will grasp at anything to have who they think the killer is be put behind bars.

              But it’s better to let an innocent person walk than get the wrong person, even if it leaves the family devastated.

              • jve@lemmy.world
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                12 days ago

                it’s better to let an innocent person walk than get the wrong person

                Hot take.

    • kikutwo@lemmy.world
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      13 days ago

      So he just happened to have a gun on him in Pennsylvania that coincidentally matched the ballistic evidence in Manhattan?

      • starshipHighwayman69@lemmy.ml
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        13 days ago

        Let me see the footage of the arrest. Dept desperate to “get their perpetrator” often do desperate things, can’t be having the ruling class be murdered and nobody being punished for it now can we?

          • starshipHighwayman69@lemmy.ml
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            13 days ago

            Are you insinuating that police forces don’t work together or share information? Show me the video I want before he arrived, body cams, all of it. Every house has a ring camera it should be pretty solid unless mysterious it didn’t work just like the night Epstein was murdered.

        • kikutwo@lemmy.world
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          13 days ago

          So the Altoona Pennsylvania police who made the arrest just happened to plant the evidence for the NYPD? Lol

          • WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works
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            12 days ago

            What I want to know is - where is Luigi’s workshop?

            That kind of 3D printed gun isn’t just something you can print off at the library and start blasting. Even for a skilled 3D printing expert with a workshop full of plastic and metal working tools, you’re looking at months of prototyping, printing, fitting, testing out prototypes at a gun range, etc. It is possible for skilled crafters to build an untraceable gun from a 3D printed frame and pieces ordered off the net. But it’s nothing like just hitting “print” and having a gun.

            This is what really gets me. Luigi was apparently living as a drifter for the last year or so. His family had been trying to get in touch with him. A hostel is not the place where you’re going to be able to make a 3D printed gun. You need a workshop, and one that you can operate in with a high degree of privacy for an extended period of time.

            So, again, where is Luigi’s workshop? 3D printed guns don’t just materialized from nowhere. If Luigi made the gun, he must have a workshop. Unless the police can show where that workshop is, I’m going to assume the gun was planted on him.

            Where is Luigi’s workshop?

              • WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works
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                12 days ago

                Ok. Then you just transfer the chain back one level. Who did he buy it from? Think about the logistics of buying one of those. Imagine you wanted to buy a ghost gun. How would you actually go about doing that? Yes, organized crime rings and gangs may make these things, but they don’t just sell them to any random kid who walks up wanting to buy one. They’ll obtain them for their own trusted members. But if a random white kid shows up looking to buy a gun, the thought of most people would be that this guy is planning a school shooting. And no gang wants that type of heat.

                • Peruvian_Skies@sh.itjust.works
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                  12 days ago

                  That doesn’t matter, though. He isn’t being charged with manufacturing an illegal firearm so the prosecution does not have the burden of proving that he did so. Likewise, if he is being charged with gun trafficking, they still don’t need to prove where he got the illegal gun from, just that he had it.

                  And he’s being charged with terrorism, for fuck’s sake. Do you really think the standard for evidence at this trial will be a fair one? The prosecution is likely to get away with hearsay while the defense will be expected to provide DNA evidence from the actual killer as well as his parents and grandparents to get the case dismissed.

                • kikutwo@lemmy.world
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                  12 days ago

                  It’s really not this deep. A white privileged kid murdered someone in a pathetic martyr operation and he’s going to prison for decades.

          • Rhoeri@lemmy.world
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            12 days ago

            You cant be rational in an irrational discussion. It never goes well- and usually ends in pitchfork-related injuries.

            Be safe. These people aren’t using nuance or logic at all.