Luigi Mangione‘s former roommate RJ Martin described the killer’s actions as completely at odds with the person he once knew, likening it to “two different people.”
In an interview with Fox News, Martin reflected on his time with Mangione, an Ivy League graduate accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He recounted their close friendship and shared interests. “It feels strange because he was a great friend, and I considered him a close friend,” he said.
“And that someone who would assassinate somebody is completely incompatible with the person I lived with—the person I cooked meals with, the person who was part of a book club and other activities with.”
“It’s like two completely different human beings,” he added.
In another interview with CNN, Martin said, “I can make zero sense of it.” He recalled Mangione as an active and thoughtful person, participating in activities like book clubs and hiking.
Martin also said that Mangione did not appear to use drugs like “magic mushrooms” and had recently undergone surgery for severe back pain, which had limited his ability to stay active. “Sometimes Mangione went ‘radio silent’ while recovering from his back surgery,” he noted. Despite this, when pain-free, Mangione remained involved in workouts, volleyball, and yoga classes, which helped the two bond.
Mangione reportedly had even shared an X-ray on social media, revealing his spinal issues. According to Martin, the condition had troubled him for a long time and was a factor in his decision to return home for medical care.
Others who worked with Mangione during his academic years shared similar sentiments. A former colleague from a Stanford summer program described him as socially adept and outgoing. “I never got the impression he would self-destruct,” the colleague told CNN.
The 26-year-old Mangione was arrested on Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a tip from a customer. He faces charges including murder, weapon possession, and forgery.
Authorities allege that Mangione shot and killed Thompson, 50, while the CEO was on his way to an investors’ meeting at a New York City hotel last Wednesday. Bullet casings found at the scene were engraved with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” a phrase that mirrors language often used by critics of the insurance industry, according to the NYPD.
Meanwhile, as he was brought to the extradition hearing on Monday, Luigi Mangione shouted at the media waiting outside the courtroom. “It’s extremely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience,” he said as he was led into a Pennsylvania courthouse. Dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, Mangione was seen screaming.
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