True Crime

Joe Rogan is coming out swinging against the healthcare industry, calling it a "dirty business" following the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

During Tuesday's podcast, Rogan sat down with movie director Quentin Tarantino and producer Roger Avary ... with the trio at one point turning their conversation to Luigi Mangione -- the suspected killer of Thompson.

Rogan said he doesn't think Mangione is a professional assassin, but rather is someone who may have had a beef with the healthcare business. Rogan also said UnitedHealthcare apparently "is really bad at denying claims.”

Luigi Mangione, the charged killer in the Brian Thompson murder case, was living his best life in the months prior to the controversial shooting ... enjoying an action-packed trip to Asia earlier this year.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ … they had been on vacation with a friend in Krabi, Thailand, and met Mangione by chance at a Muay Thai fight in April 2024. We're told the trio hit it off, reconnected later to explore the city together and even planned a future road trip.

The source says the group split up briefly when Luigi headed to Phuket, and they made their way to Malaysia. However, the trio did eventually link back up in Thailand, embarking on their planned road trip -- which included stops in Khao Sok and Bangkok.

Luigi Mangione's new defense attorney spoke to reporters Tuesday afternoon from his offices in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Attorney Tom Dickey said he's been retained to represent Mangione, but did not offer further details about his representation. He stated he believes Mangione should have been granted bail Monday ... and emphasized Mangione did not waive his extradition in an earlier court appearance today.

"I haven't seen any evidence" that Mangione is the shooter, Dickey said. "He's pleaded not guilty, that's all I care about."

Dickey said he came onto the case "sometime prior to the hearing today" -- it's unclear if he was court-appointed or hired. Asked if he could say who hired him, he said "No ... I can, but I won't."

As we know, Luigi Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson early Wednesday morning last week in Midtown Manhattan.

Luigi Mangione, the suspected shooter in the murder case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was frustrated with the "corporation and greed" of the healthcare industry ... this according to his handwritten manifesto.

Journalist Ken Klippenstein recently released the manifesto reportedly found on Mangione when he was detained Monday in Altoona, PA. Law enforcement sources have confirmed the text to TMZ.

The document, a 262-word letter addressed to "the Feds," comments on a number of topics ... including his issues with the healthcare business, especially UnitedHealthcare.

Luigi Mangione left a glowing Goodreads review for Ted Kaczynski's 'Unabomber Manifesto' -- and the possibility it inspired Mangione's alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is heartbreaking, says the late criminal’s brother.

David Kaczynski tells TMZ he was told yesterday by a friend that Mangione had read the Manifesto ... and it breaks his heart knowing his brother might be seen as a model for acceptable violent behavior.

"It breaks my heart to know in some way – human motivation is very complex -- but in some way, my brother might be seen as a model for acceptable, violent behavior. And in my opinion, there is no such thing" he says.

He explains to us people shouldn’t blur the lines between his brother Ted’s ideas in the Manifesto -- which he believes doesn't necessarily lead to violence -- and his "despicable, hurtful actions," which he says can lead to copycats.

The suspected killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO began shouting toward media cameras as he was quickly rushed into a Pennsylvania courthouse on Tuesday ... where he will face his extradition hearing.

Luigi Mangione began shouting as soon as he was led out of a police van in an orange jumpsuit ... saying in part "... Completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people!"

It was difficult to make out exactly what the suspect was saying ... 'cause as soon as he started his stunt, officers roughly manhandled him inside.

Luigi Mangione is now charged with the cold-blooded killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO ... and social media is being flooded with memes hailing the suspect as a hero.

Here's the deal ... 26-year-old Mangione was apprehended Monday and hours later the Manhattan D.A. charged him with murder for the brazen December 4 fatal shooting of Brian Thompson. He's also facing charges of criminal possession of a weapon, possession of a forged instrument, and 2 counts of possession of a loaded firearm.

Mere minutes after the suspect was identified and internet sleuths found his socials ... admirers began posting Super Mario Bros. and "Sopranos" memes celebrating Mangione.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is refusing to support the narrative painting Brian Thompson's suspected killer as a modern-day vigilante ... slamming the notion as the murder case continues.

The politician spoke out in a press conference Monday after Luigi Mangione, the top person of interest in the fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, was arrested in Pennsylvania that same day.

While addressing reporters, Shapiro made it clear Mangione was "no hero," adding ... "In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint."

A person of interest in the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been detained.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a man in Altoona, Pennsylvania is being held for questioning in connection with last week's shooting in New York City.

Our sources tell TMZ ... local police responded after receiving a tip that the person of interest was seen in a McDonald's.

Private security firms have been inundated with calls since the cold-blooded murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... but the high-profile case won't necessarily change how companies protect execs long-term, TMZ is told.

In the days since Thompson was shot dead on the streets of NYC ... multiple private security firms have been flooded with service inquiries and price quotes.

Ian Dahlberg, owner of Dahlcore Security Guard Services, tells TMZ ... there has been a noticeable uptick in calls -- from executes looking for private security to film studios wanting to beef up guards on the lot.

The gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson arrived in New York City on a bus from Atlanta ... TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us the suspected shooter arrived in the Big Apple 10 days before the shooting on November 24 ... taking a Greyhound bus to the Port Authority station in Manhattan.

From there, we're told the suspect checked into a hostel.

The main suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have possibly stayed in a hostel, but it looks like he had some money ... 'cause he had an expensive backpack with him.

The backpack appears to be an Everyday Backpack from Peak Designs ... a bag meant for serious photographers but designed for casual use as well.

According to reports, it's not a new model of the backpack ... with some saying there's a good chance the bag was purchased between 2016 and 2019.

Police say the suspect who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson can't hide forever in NYC ... 'cause security cameras recorded a person believed to be the shooter riding away from the murder scene.

Check out the new video, obtained by ABC News, showing a person -- who cops say is the suspect -- riding down a Manhattan street just minutes after Thompson was shot to death early Wednesday outside a hotel.

It appears the rider's wearing a mask, riding down the street very quickly ... but, cops say this is the person they're looking for -- blending in with the rest of the concrete jungle.

The wife of slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson says he had received threats before his shocking assassination on the streets of NYC.

In a phone conversation with NBC News read out by the anchor ... Paulette Thompson said, "There had been some threats basically. I don't know. A lack of coverage? I don't know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ there’s no official record of any threats being reported by Brian or any other UnitedHealthcare executives.

5:45 PM PT -- The LAPD tells TMZ ... "The City of Bloomington, Minnesota Police Department examined the drives in question and determined they contained nothing of evidentiary value. The LAPD has never listened to, or been in possession of, these drives."

2:42 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Bloomington Police accessed the thumb drives and determined there was no confession by O.J. Simpson.

We're told ... not only was there no confession, there was no O.J. on any of them -- it was just Iroc Avelli talking to himself.

New twist in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman ... police claim they have reason to believe they have a recording of O.J. Simpson confessing to the murders.

According to a new search warrant, obtained by TMZ, cops in Minnesota say they have a thumb drive they were told has a recording of O.J. admitting to the double murder of Nicole and Ron.

What's more, police say they've been told the recording also features O.J. implicating an unknown third party.

10:05 AM PT -- Authorities tell TMZ ... Gary Oliva is NOT actually missing. After we published our story earlier today, officials realized a clerical error had been made -- his current address had not been updated in the state's sex offender registry.

It's unclear when Oliva moved, but he's been checking in monthly ... most recently, on November 4. He is not out of compliance with parole conditions. He currently resides on the 1900 block of 29th Street in Denver, which authorities tell us is technically a "transient address."

Oliva had not been seen at his previous address for months ... 'cause he did not actually live there anymore ... and, again, did his due diligence with Denver authorities when he moved.

The convicted pedophile who claims he accidentally killed JonBenét Ramsey has gone "missing" ... TMZ has confirmed.