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Actor and comedian Bill Burr recently hoped for Luigi Mangione's freedom while discussing the Los Angeles wildfires. Mangione is the main suspect in the murder of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson.
In his Tuesday, January 14 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Bill Burr spoke about the Los Angeles wildfires and criticized insurance companies for their measures. In the same context, he rallied for Luigi Mangione to be free.
“They’re talking about looting. But CNN and Fox News are not going to bring up the insurance companies that are just gonna keep everybody’s premiums and still give themselves a bonus," he said.
As the audience clapped for him, he shouted:
"Yes! Free Luigi!"
He added: "I love how they acted surprised, ‘How could that happen? “[The killer] wrote on the bullets why it happened.'"
According to law enforcement officials, the bullets that hit and killed Brian Thompson on December 4 had the words deny, defend, and depose on them. These words are allegedly a reference to Jay Feinman's book Delay Deny Defend: Why insurance companies don't pay claims and what you can do about it.
It is often speculated that Thompson's killer wanted to make a statement about the alleged malpractices of health insurance companies to deny people medical coverage. Burr's statements seemingly allude to the same reasoning.
Luigi Mangione is unlikely to face trial before mid-February 2025
According to the latest developments on Luigi Mangione's case per NBC New York, the suspect is unlikely to go on trial before mid-February 2025. Prosecutors and lawyers have requested more time to prepare for the trial.
The lawyers reportedly agreed in a letter to the court to extend the deadline for filing an indictment against Mangione from January 18 to February 17. Luigi Mangione is next scheduled to appear in court on February 21.
26-year-old Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonalds outlet in Pennsylvania on December 9, 2024, five days after the shooting of Brian Thompson. The suspect has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the time of arrest, law enforcement officials found a fake ID, the gun used in Thompson's shooting, and a handwritten "claim of responsibility," per authorities. The document carried by Mangione allegedly outlined his "motivation and mindset" behind killing Brian Thompson. He is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, NYC.
The federal charges against Mangione include murder and illegal possession of firearm charges. According to NBC New York, at least one of the charges faced by Luigi Mangione has the possibility of leading to the death penalty.
However, the Justice Department in Washington will decide whether to impose the penalty. It is worth noting that all the department's important officials will be changed after President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
Since his arrest, Luigi Mangione has received overwhelming public support despite the charges against him. These charges allegedly arise from the reported profit-gaining practices of health insurance companies in the United States. According to CNN, people turned up outside the court in New York last month with "Free Luigi" signs in solidarity with the suspect.
Many wore green hats resembling those worn by the video game character Luigi. Further, Mangione's attorneys have claimed he received emails from many supporters offering to pay his legal bills.
"CEOs have to be uncomfortable"— Bill Burr criticizes US media's treatment of Brian Thompson's murder
In an interview published by Variety (dated January 14), Bill Burr shared his thoughts on the murder of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson.
“The funny thing when that CEO got whacked was watching CEOs have to be uncomfortable. I’m sure they didn’t learn anything, but it’s like: This is how you make everybody feel day to day as you apply pressure because ‘that’s how business is done,'” he said.
"How you leave this burning wreckage of destroyed lives as you ‘restructure’ and ‘consolidate.’ It was fun to see them worry.”
In a December 2024 episode of the Anything Better? podcast, Burr further criticized how the US media treated Thompson's murder.
“They’re gangsters dude, f—ing gangsters, and then when one of them gets whacked or something they’re like, ‘Oh my god he was such a good guy," Burr said.
According to a report by consumer research site Value Penguin, United HealthCare has the highest claim denial rate at 32%. Since Thompson's death, multiple people online have also voiced their support for Luigi Mangione and agreed with his alleged hatred for the healthcare system in the United States.
Further developments on Luigi Mangione's case are pending.
