Murder Suspect Luigi Mangione’s Back Pain Ruined His Love Life, Friend Says: ‘Dating, Being Physically Intimate Not Possible’

Mar. 15, 2025

Luigi Mangione.Photo:Luigi Mangione/X.com

Luigi Mangione/X.com

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEOBrian Thompson, suffered severe back pain that prevented him from being “physically intimate,” according to reports.R.J. Martin, Mangione’s friend who founded a co-living space in Hawaii where the murder suspect formerly lived, toldThe New York Timesand NBC’sTodaythat his former roommate had confided in him about his back pain.Mangione “knew that dating and being physically intimate with his back condition wasn’t possible,” Martin told theTimes.“I remember him telling me that, and my heart just breaks.”Martin toldTodaythat the back pain “constantly weighed on” Mangione.Josiah Ryan, Martin’s spokesperson, says regardless of the pain, there was no indication that Mangione would be suspected of such a serious crime.“His back pain impacted every aspect of his life, his relationships and romantic connections,” Ryan tells PEOPLE. “The constant pain led to depression, which further affected those relationships.”Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., on Monday, Dec. 11 after staff members alerted police, following a tip from an eagle-eyed customer.When an officer responded to the McDonald’s in Altoona, police allege that Mangione presented a fake ID. The officer then asked the 26-year-old if he had been to New York recently, at which point Mangione began shaking, according to a criminal complaint.Police discovered a 9mm “ghost gun,” suppressor, several fake IDs, and a written manifesto on Mangione’s person upon searching him.The arrest concluded a massive search for the masked man who fatally shot Thompson outside the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan on Dec. 4.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.Mangione ischargedwith murder in New York but remains in custody in Pennsylvania, where he is charged with forgery and a weapons-related offense, along with three other criminal counts. He did not immediately agree to be extradited to New York.“I do apologize for any strife or traumas, but it had to be done,” Mangione allegedly wrote in a manifesto, according to a law enforcement source. “Frankly, these parasites had it coming.“Thompson, a Minnesota resident who was in New York for an investor event, had two children.

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEOBrian Thompson, suffered severe back pain that prevented him from being “physically intimate,” according to reports.

R.J. Martin, Mangione’s friend who founded a co-living space in Hawaii where the murder suspect formerly lived, toldThe New York Timesand NBC’sTodaythat his former roommate had confided in him about his back pain.

Mangione “knew that dating and being physically intimate with his back condition wasn’t possible,” Martin told theTimes.“I remember him telling me that, and my heart just breaks.”

Martin toldTodaythat the back pain “constantly weighed on” Mangione.

Josiah Ryan, Martin’s spokesperson, says regardless of the pain, there was no indication that Mangione would be suspected of such a serious crime.

“His back pain impacted every aspect of his life, his relationships and romantic connections,” Ryan tells PEOPLE. “The constant pain led to depression, which further affected those relationships.”

Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., on Monday, Dec. 11 after staff members alerted police, following a tip from an eagle-eyed customer.

When an officer responded to the McDonald’s in Altoona, police allege that Mangione presented a fake ID. The officer then asked the 26-year-old if he had been to New York recently, at which point Mangione began shaking, according to a criminal complaint.

Police discovered a 9mm “ghost gun,” suppressor, several fake IDs, and a written manifesto on Mangione’s person upon searching him.

The arrest concluded a massive search for the masked man who fatally shot Thompson outside the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan on Dec. 4.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Mangione ischargedwith murder in New York but remains in custody in Pennsylvania, where he is charged with forgery and a weapons-related offense, along with three other criminal counts. He did not immediately agree to be extradited to New York.

“I do apologize for any strife or traumas, but it had to be done,” Mangione allegedly wrote in a manifesto, according to a law enforcement source. “Frankly, these parasites had it coming.”

Thompson, a Minnesota resident who was in New York for an investor event, had two children.

source: people.com