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Manhattan, New York: “FIGHT BACK!” “DENY, DEPOSE, DEFEND,” “HEALTH CARE CEOS SHOULD NOT FEEL SAFE.” These are among the messages included on “wanted” posters (pictured below) targeting corporate executives following the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.  

Figure 1: “Wanted” posters depict Heather Cianfrocco, Brian Thompson, and Andrew Witty (Hindustan Times) 

Mangione’s Motive  

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, whose insurance arm is UnitedHealthcare, is one of the largest American healthcare companies. Law enforcement believe Mangione’s discontent with the American healthcare and insurance systems to be his motivation for killing Thompson. In his manifesto, he claimed that “[United Healthcare] has grown and grown, but has our life expectancy? No, the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allowed them to get away with it.” The slogan “DENY, DEFEND, DEPOSE,” displayed on the “wanted” posters and engraved on Mangione’s bullets appears to express anger with the healthcare industry. It bares similarities to the slogan presented in a book by Jay M. Feinman titled Delay, Deny, Defend which criticizes the practices of American insurance companies. 

Are Other Executives at Risk?  

Thompson’s assassination has allegedly encouraged copycat killings of other CEOs. Intelligence analysts from the NYPD are treating the case as an instance of terrorism and Mangione was indicted on terrorism charges in addition to the murder charges. Online, the murder has seemingly inspired sympathy for Mangione. Some posts on X which justify, celebrate, or excuse Mangione’s actions have received hundreds of thousands of likes and have view counts in the millions. Outright threats of violence against executives online have also surged, according to the NYPD. An Emerson College poll concluded that 41% respondents aged 18-29 believed that the killing was acceptable to some degree, though older demographics were less likely to support this position.  

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty and Optum CEO Heather Cianfrocco have become the target of threats by way of the above “wanted” posters. Optum is the arm of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated which provides healthcare technology and pharmaceutical services. Additional “wanted” posters in Manhattan bore the likenesses of executives in the banking industry, indicating that non-healthcare executives are also being targeted. In Seattle, Washington, a road sign displayed the message “ONE LESS CEO, MANY MORE TO GO.” Law enforcement agencies are working to determine the origin of these threats.  

Figure 2: Posters which appeared in Manhattan following the death of Thompson 

Figure 3: Road sign in Seattle, Washington (Komo News) 

At the time of his murder on the early morning of December 4^th, Thompson was walking the streets of Midtown Manhattan without a protection detail, a fact which has caused concern amongst security experts.  

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