Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, celebrated his 27th birthday in jail by composing an open letter from Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), where he awaits trial. In the letter, he enumerated 27 things he is thankful for simply one for every year of his life.
Mangione started the letter with a sincere note: “My friends, for being there when I needed it most.” With both state and federal charges against him, the threat of a death sentence hanging over him, his tone varied from sincere to tongue-in-cheek throughout the letter.
He made special mention of the MDC mail room staff: “Photocopied and processed thousands of letters mailed to me from more than 40 countries, your efforts are worth it to so many.”
He also declared himself surprised by the prison experience, saying, “The MDC staff and CO’s, who are nothing like what ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’ had me believing.”
Memes, Books, and Supporters
Mangione wasn’t shy of the surreal publicity his case has engendered. He tipped his hat to net culture and noted, “Laughter is louder than logic and makes a lot more sense,” in gratitude for memes that users have posted about him.
He also thanked a fan community he called ‘Latinas for Mangione’, and expressed gratitude to the numerous individuals who have contributed over one million dollars to his defense fund.
Books have provided comfort, too. He singled out such books as Anthem by Ayn Rand, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and Your Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet-David. Although not able to read all that was sent to him, Mangione has books to share with the other inmates particularly his cellmate ‘J’.
Of ‘J’, he penned: “Despite spending half of each day in a communal birdcage and being sentenced to ten years away from his six children whom he adores, (he) puts up with clutter of all my papers, lends his special wisdom, and does not hesitate to humble me when needed.”
Among other unexpected inclusions in his list of things he is thankful for were things such as his ‘lucky long sleeve’, ‘hearts’, and an endnote that merely read, ‘Light’.
Mangione ended the letter with a short note: “Thanks for the birthday message. Never lose the plot. Luigi.”
He is due to face court once more on June 26, although his trial is not likely to get underway until 2026.