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Luigi Mangione's former cellmate has shared details about his time with the convicted killer, saying Mangione appeared to view himself as a Robin Hood-like figure and was pleased when UnitedHealthcare's stock price fell after the shooting of CEO Brian Thompson.
Linus Fu, 32, spent time with Mangione at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, where he said the two developed a friendship while reading and discussing books. Fu told Courthouse News that Mangione was generally quiet but could also be playful and was well known among inmates.
"Most people, they know Luigi," Fu said, explaining that some prisoners approached Mangione for autographs or conversation.
Fu said the pair became closer after he began working as an orderly in the prison's intake unit, where Mangione was being held separately for his protection. The two bonded over their educational backgrounds and books, including John H. Richardson's Luigi: The Making and the Meaning, which examines Mangione's case.
"He'd check my progress all the time," Fu recalled. "He said, 'What page are you on right now?'"
According to Fu, Mangione also received numerous books, magazines, letters and newspapers from supporters. Mangione reportedly passed copies of The New York Times to Fu so he could practice his English.
Fu also recalled seeing a more humorous side of Mangione, describing him as "young" and "creative." He said Mangione once threw a snowball into his cell, accidentally hitting a birthday card his cellmate was preparing.
However, Fu said some inmates viewed Mangione differently, with his bunkmate suggesting that the 28-year-old "just wants the attention." Fu said he eventually asked Mangione directly whether attracting attention had been his motivation for killing Thompson.
"He said, 'I didn't do that for the fame,'" Fu recalled.
Fu said Mangione effectively acknowledged responsibility during the conversation. He also said Mangione appeared "proud" after learning that UnitedHealthcare's stock price had declined following Thompson's death.
"He was smiling," Fu said.
Mangione later pleaded guilty in federal court to charges connected to Thompson's killing. During the proceedings, he admitted to shooting the UnitedHealthcare CEO in Manhattan in December 2024.
Mangione is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18 and faces the possibility of life in prison.
