Sydney Roosters star Angus Crichton has put forward a wild conspiracy theory about the suspect arrested for the cold-blooded execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York street.
Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the middle of New York City on Wednesday, December 4, in what police say was a targeted attack on the health care boss.
A manhunt was launched and on Monday Luigi Mangione – a 26-year-old Ivy League-educated “anti-capitalist” – was apprehended at a McDonald’s location in Pennsylvania after an employee recognized him and reported him to authorities.
While he remains jailed on murder charges, Mangione has amassed a passionate cult following online, with many praising him for “sacrificing himself for society.”
On Wednesday, NRL star Crichton shared a post on social media detailing a theory created by internet sleuths that some are calling the ‘286 Conspiracy Theory’.
Crichton posted several screenshots about the theory, alongside the caption: “Crazy to see this Luigi case playing out in real time as some people are digging and discovering crazy things. Is this exaggerated or legitimate?’
Luigi Mangione, 26, was taken into custody Monday afternoon on gun charges
Angus Crichton has put forward a wild conspiracy theory about the shooting
Online sleuths have noticed that the number 286 appears to be a key element in the investigation as they try to determine a possible motive.
Mangione’s X account includes a photo of himself, a spinal X-ray, and a Pokémon named Breloom. Digging deeper, eagle-eyed sleuths have pointed out that Breloom has the Pokedex number #286.
Mangione also has exactly 286 messages on his
If that’s not creepy enough, Proverbs 28:6 in the Bible says, “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.”
Finally, the number 286 is a denial code used in healthcare in the US when the appeal deadlines for a claim have not been met.
Mangione appears to have led police on a manhunt from 6th Avenue in New York City to the small town of Altoona, Pennsylvania.
He left a trail of overt clues as to his motive, including ammunition with the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” and a bag of Monopoly board game money left in his backpack in Central Park.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the middle of New York City on Wednesday, December 4
Mangione (pictured) is accused of shooting Brian Thompson at close range
Officials believe the bullet etchings refer to the ‘three D’s of insurance’ – tactics used by US insurance giants to deny patient claims.
This motive seemed to be outlined even more clearly in a handwritten manifesto that police seized from Mangione during his arrest on Monday, which NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said showed “ill will toward corporate America.” expressed.
“For the sake of the FBI, I will keep this short because I respect what you do for our country,” Mangione wrote in the three-page document. “To spare you a lengthy investigation, I clearly state that I have not collaborated with anyone.”
“I apologize for any conflict or trauma, but it had to be done,” Mangione added in the document. “Honestly, these parasites just got it.”
Mangione is also said to be carrying a ghost gun believed to be the rare World War II-inspired 9mm pistol used in Thompson’s murder, which the New York Post reported was a Swiss-made Brugger & Thomet VP9 wax, and a silencer.
During his arraignment at the Blair County Courthouse in Pennsylvania on Monday evening, he was denied bond and was not represented by an attorney. Mangione will appear in court in New York at a later date.