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  • February 18, 2025
Suspect in murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson charged with murder

Suspect in murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson charged with murder

DENIAL DEFEND DISCOVER

Police said Thompson appeared to be deliberately targeted and were investigating whether others may also have been in danger.

The words ‘deny’, ‘defend’ and ‘depose’ were carved into shell casings found at the sceneseveral news media have reported. The words evoke the title of a book critical of the insurance industry published in 2010, titled “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”

A Facebook profile appearing to belong to Mangione identified him as a resident of Towson, Maryland, and a former student at the University of Pennsylvania. Photos appear to show Mangione of Stanford University wearing Stanford-branded clothing.

An X account that appears to be owned by Mangione says he lives in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Thompson’s killing sparked a wave of frustration among Americans who saw their health insurance claims or care denied, faced unexpected costs or paid more for premiums and medical care — all trends that are on the rise, according to recent data.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said at a news conference with prosecutors and police in Altoona that he understood the frustrations that some Americans, angry about health insurers and their refusal to pay for some treatments, had expressed online since Thompson’s killing. But he rejected the glorification of the suspect in some online circles.

“In America, we don’t kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a point of view,” Shapiro said.

Thompson, a father of two, had served as CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance division since April 2021, part of a 20-year career with the company. He had been in New York to attend the company’s annual investor conference.

“Our hope is that today’s concerns will bring some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” a UnitedHealth spokesperson said.