Mangione Manhunt: From Midtown to Altoona | Documentary now streaming
NEW YORK CITY - December 4, 2024. 6:44 a.m. FOX 5 NY was first on the scene after a man was stalked, shot and killed as dawn broke in Midtown Manhattan – police giving him CPR as our cameras were rolling. We now know the victim was Brian Thompson, a CEO at UnitedHealthcare, the fourth-largest company in the U.S., and the words "deny, defend, depose" were inscribed on the casings of bullets used to kill him.
Five days later, police found a suspect, 230 miles away. Luigi Mangione – caught eating a hash brown in Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald's – is now charged in Thompson’s murder.
Reporter reacts to meeting Mangione’s attorney
"Some compare him to fictional characters like Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad… he’s very theatrical," FOX 5 NY’s Michelle Ross says of alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione’s lawyer, Thomas Dickey. | Mangione Manhunt: From Midtown to Altoona, a FOX 5 documentary
Watch the trailer for "Mangione Manhunt: From Midtown to Altoona," a FOX 5 documentary on the UnitedHealthcare CEO killing, is now streaming only on FOX LOCAL.
You can watch the full, 30-minute documentary for free by downloading the FOX LOCAL app on your smart TV or phone and selecting "FOX 5 New York" as your local station. Click here to learn more.
In "Mangione Manhunt," FOX 5 NY’s Lisa Evers sits down with David Corporon, the first news photographer on the scene of Brian Thompson’s murder. We also hear from reporter Michelle Ross, who details the chaos in Altoona after the arrest. Plus, the NYPD give us a behind-the-scenes look into the investigation.
CEO murder timeline
From Mangione's arrival in New York City, to the unfolding investigation and his eventual arrest in Pennsylvania, here's how the events unfolded before and after the killing of Thompson.
Sunday, Nov. 24: Mangione arrives in NYC
10:11 p.m. – Mangione arrives at the Port Authority terminal on a Greyhound bus from Atlanta. Police are unsure where he boarded the bus, which made several stops along the way.
From the terminal, he takes a taxi to the New York Hilton Midtown, where he lingers for about 30 minutes before heading to the HI New York City Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue. At the hostel, he uses what police believe is a fake ID to check into a shared room with bunk beds. His roommates never saw his face because he kept his mask on.
While in the lobby, he briefly pulls down his mask to smile at an employee – a moment captured on surveillance footage and widely circulated by police.
Friday, Nov. 29 – Mangione checked out of hostel
The hostel automatically checks him out after he misses the check-out deadline. Police don’t believe he stayed elsewhere and think he re-checked into the same hostel later.
Wednesday, Dec. 4: Brian Thompson murdered
5:30 a.m. – The suspect leaves the hostel early in the morning.
5:41 a.m. – He is seen pacing near the Hilton hotel on 54th Street and Sixth Avenue, where UnitedHealth Group is hosting its annual investor conference. Police suspect he used a bicycle to get there quickly.
The man stops at a nearby Starbucks, purchasing a bottle of water and an energy bar before heading back to the Hilton.
6:44 a.m. – He shoots Brian Thompson, who was arriving at the conference alone, and flees the scene.
6:48 a.m. – The suspect enters Central Park on a bicycle through the 60th Street and Center Drive entrance, where police believe he ditches a gray backpack.
6:56 a.m. – He exits the park at West 77th Street and Central Park West, still on the bicycle.
6:58 a.m. – He passes another surveillance camera at 85th Street and Columbus Avenue.
7 a.m. – The suspect is seen at 86th Street without the bicycle.
7:04 a.m. – He hails a taxi at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, heading north.
7:30 a.m. – He is near the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, which offers routes to various cities, including Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
At the scene of the shooting, investigators discover ammunition marked with the words "delay," "deny," and "depose" – a phrase often associated with criticisms of the insurance industry.
Friday, Dec. 6: Mangione allegedly takes bus to Pennsylvania
Police confirm the suspect likely left New York City on a bus, but have no footage showing him boarding. Investigators also recovered a backpack believed to belong to the suspect.
Saturday, Dec. 7: More surveillance photos released
Scuba divers search a Central Park pond, while additional surveillance photos of the suspect in a taxi are released. Despite a fingerprint from the Starbucks purchase and DNA testing, the suspect's identity is still unknown.
Sunday, Dec. 8: Divers continue search of Central Park pond
The Central Park pond search continues, but police declined to comment on developments.
Monday, Dec. 9: Altoona, PA police arrest Mangione
9:14 a.m. — Police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, respond to a report of a man matching the suspect’s description at a McDonald’s.
Mangione is arrested. He is found with a gun believed to be the murder weapon, writings indicating hostility toward corporate America, a mask matching the one used during the crime, and a fraudulent ID identical to the one used at the hostel.
Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors charge him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument.
Tuesday, Dec. 10: Mangione fights extradition
In court papers made public Tuesday, a New York City police detective reiterated key findings in the investigation he said tied Mangione to the killing, including surveillance footage and a fake ID he used to check into a Manhattan hostel on Nov. 24. Police officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, found that ID when they arrested Mangione.
At the brief hearing, defense lawyer Thomas Dickey informed the court that Mangione would not waive extradition to New York but instead wants a hearing on the issue.
Wednesday, Dec. 11: Gun matches shell casings at NYC scene
The gun found on Mangione matched shell casings found at the site of the shooting, New York City’s police commissioner said Wednesday.
Mangione’s fingerprints also matched a water bottle and a protein bar wrapper that police found near the scene and that officials say the gunman purchased at a nearby coffee shop while awaiting his target, Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at an unrelated news conference.