CEO ‘assassin’ Luigi Mangione’s family ‘in the dark’ about ‘murder’ case after reading about it in the papers
THE family of suspected CEO assassin Luigi Mangione have been left in the dark over the murder investigation, their lawyer has claimed.
The Mangione family attorney released a very brief statement on behalf of the college graduate's loved ones who claim they are only finding out about the case through the papers.
He also released a short statement from the family regarding Mangione which said: "We wish him the best.";
They also added that they still "love" him.
It is unclear if the 26-year-old has been in contact with anyone since he was detained.
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The Ivy League graduate is accused of shooting health insurance boss Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4.
He was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a worker sounded the alarm to cops.
He has since been charged with the murder as investigations continue into the possible motive behind the attack.
Mangione is from a wealthy Baltimore family but is believed to have fallen out of contact with them in the last six months after moving to Japan.
Resurfaced messages on X from his immediate loved ones show them tagging the 26-year-old and pleading with him to respond.
One from just a few months ago read: "Hey are you ok? Nobody had heard from you in months, and apparently you family is looking for you."
Just weeks later, CCTV footage captured the shocking moment UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead outside a Hilton hotel in New York.
A five-day manhunt ensued for the killer with cops eventually arresting Mangione and labelling him the main suspect.
He appeared in court for the first time earlier this week after for an arraignment on gun and forgery charges.
New York prosecutors later filed second-degree murder charges against Mangione for the December 4 assassination.
He also faces two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of second-degree possession of a forged document, and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon in New York.
Mangione's attorney, Thomas Dickey, has repeatedly preached his client's innocence.
But on Wednesday, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed Mangione's fingerprints were linked to items found near the crime scene.
Investigators believe Mangione scribbled the words "deny," "depose," and "defend" on three bullet shell casings.
Officers also found a spiral notebook in Mangione's bookbag that contained a sick "to-do list."
The notebook included several pages that detailed to-do lists of tasks that needed to be planned out to pull off Thompson's murder, according to CNN.
Several notes justified these calculated plans, while another page referenced a plot to take out the UnitedHealthcare CEO using a bomb, the outlet reported.
One haunting passage said Thompson could be taken out using an explosive as he walked through Manhattan.
The alleged plan drew up a harrowing number of similarities to the Unabomber, who Mangione reportedly praised months before the shooting.
Domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski killed three people using sadistic mail bombs across a 17-year reign of terror.
'ZERO EVIDENCE'
During his initial court appearance on Monday evening, Mangione slammed arguments from police linking him to the crime.
He claims someone planted money and a gun on him to try make him the "fall guy".
Mangione's attorney, Thomas Dickey, also argued that there was currently "zero evidence" that incriminates his client.
The attorney added that investigators "need to convince" him that Mangione is the person they have been looking for.
Since his arrest, details have emerged about the reclusive UPenn graduate, who comes from an affluent, influential Italian-American family in .
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Mangione, who was valedictorian of the class of 2016 at Baltimore's Gilman School, was described as a "well-educated and popular" student-athlete by his former classmates.
He is due to stay at the State Correctional Institution Huntingdon while investigations continue.
Who is Luigi Mangione?
MANGIONE, 26, was regarded as a beloved, clever and wealthy man by his family, friends and all who knew him.
He was born and raised in Maryland where he was valedictorian of his high school graduating class at Gilman School in Baltimore.
He had no prior criminal history and was said to have been a model student, footballer and all-round athlete at high school.
One former student from the Gilman School told The U.S. Sun Mangione was "popular" and had a "big circle of friends."
The former student, who asked not to be identified, said: "We went to the same school but didn't really have the same friends. I'm really shocked by this whole thing.
"I think he played soccer, it was an all-boys school, so being a good athlete got you social currency for sure."
After, Mangione graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied Computer and Information Science, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He also got his masters from the Ivy League school.
Mangione was reportedly a data engineer at a car company in California before moving to Hawaii.
His cousin is also Republican Maryland House of Delegates member Nino Mangione.