Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, told friends he was beaten up by seven “ladyboys” during a wild night out in Thailand just months before the alleged murder.
The 27-year-old allegedly shared stories from his backpacking trip across Asia in WhatsApp messages, including one where he claimed he was “beaten up by seven ladyboys,” using a slang term for transgender women common in Thailand, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Mangione sent friends a photo of his scratched and bruised arm after the altercation in Bangkok in March 2024.
The Ivy League-educated former data scientist embarked on a solo trip through Asia in early 2024 following spinal surgery that had improved his chronic back pain. His travels took him from Bangkok’s nightlife to Japan’s Mount Omine.
Mangione met soccer player Christian Sacchini and another American at a Bangkok bar in the city’s red-light district. The group chatted for a few hours over several rounds of drinks.
Sacchini recalled they talked about video games and Pokemon before the conversation turned to healthcare. Mangione ranted about how “effed up” the U.S. healthcare system was compared to Thailand. He was shocked by how little an MRI scan cost in Thailand, Sacchini said.
“He couldn’t believe it,” Sacchini said.
The group exchanged WhatsApp contact information. Mangione later sent updates about his travels, including the message about being beaten by seven transgender “ladyboys” and losing his phone in a taxi.
After leaving Thailand, Mangione retreated to Japan’s remote Mount Omine, where he rented a room at a quiet guesthouse in the small village of Tenkawa. Juntaro Mihara, the guesthouse owner, described him as “polite but withdrawn,” saying the American spent his days meditating and writing.
In an April message, Mangione told his new friends he wanted to stay in Tenkawa for about a month. “I think I want to stay here for like maybe a month and just like meditate, just hot spring and do some writing,” he said.
Mangione returned to San Francisco in July 2024. Friends said he soon stopped responding to calls and deleted all his social media accounts.
Brian Thompson, 50, was murdered in cold blood on December 4, 2024, outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel where he was scheduled to attend UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference. Surveillance video shows a man approach him from behind and open fire with a handgun.
Police found spent and unspent bullet casings at the scene with the words “deny,” “delay” and “depose” written on them, a reference to a book critical of the U.S. health insurance industry called “Delay, Deny, Defend.”
Mangione was arrested five days later in Pennsylvania, where authorities discovered a manifesto and journal outlining his motivations. Police allegedly recovered the handgun used in the shooting in Mangione’s bag.
Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. The Justice Department accuses Mangione of premeditated murder and weapons offenses.
Mangione also faces federal charges including interstate stalking and using a firearm to commit murder, which could carry the death penalty. In Pennsylvania, he faces additional firearms and forgery charges.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and is due back in federal court on December 5. No trial date has been set.