New Delhi:
Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has exchanged letters with a woman who wrote to him about her struggles to fight with the insurance company for her sick daughter.
The woman, Karen, in a letter to Mangione, claimed that her daughter had developed complete catatonia in January 2024 and spent 60 days in the hospital in a single year.
Her daughter had a “rare, life-threatening disease that requires constant care and medical treatment,” and UnitedHealthcare refused to pay for her recommended treatment.
Ms Karen claimed that she had to fight for months before she could give her daughter the medication she needed.
She also vowed to “keep up the fight” in Mangione’s name.
Mangione, 26, thanked the woman for sharing her story with him. In response, he wrote, “Your letter is the first to make me tear up. I am so, so sorry for what you and your daughter so senselessly had to endure.”
The UPenn graduate also asked Ms Karen, 66, to send a photograph of herself and her daughter, as well as a clear picture of Jesus, because the one in the letter was a blurry black-and-white image. He promised to put it up on his prison cell walls next to her letter.
He wrote, “If you are able to send a photo of you/your daughter or the mosaic, it would mean a great deal to me. I will put it up on my prison cell wall next to your letter.”
He concluded the letter, “Your daughter is blessed to have a mother who loves her so much and fights for her so relentlessly.”
Since his arrest in December, Mangione has received thousands of letters from his supporters and fans. He said, “I am overwhelmed by and grateful for everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support.”
Mangione added that while he couldn’t respond to all the letters, he read each of them. He also thanked everyone for taking the time to write.
The 26-year-old is being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center on first-degree murder charges and two counts of second-degree murder. He is set to appear in federal court on March 19.