The acclaimed American documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has responded to a cryptic message left by Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO.
Mangione faces a second-degree murder charge for the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel on 4 December.
At the crime scene, Mangione reportedly left behind bullet casings engraved with the words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend.” The inscriptions appear to reference the 2010 bookDelay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It, which has surged in popularity on Amazon’s insurance law bestseller list since the incident.
When arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday, Mangione was found in possession of a 262-page manifesto outlining his intentions and referencing notorious figures such as Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.
In the document, Mangione also briefly mentioned Michael Moore and former New York Times reporter Elisabeth Rosenthal, citing them as individuals who have “illuminated the corruption and greed” of the healthcare industry.
Moore, the filmmaker behind Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, is best known for his critical documentaries on societal and political issues. In 2007, he released Sicko, a hard-hitting examination of the US healthcare system that contrasted it with free medical services in the UK, France, Canada, and Cuba.
In a Substack post published on 6 December—before it emerged that Mangione had referenced him—Moore addressed the shooting and the cryptic inscriptions on the bullet casings.
“All we know now is that the bullet casings used in the killing of the CEO included the inscriptions, ‘Deny,’ ‘Defend,’ or ‘Depose’—which could mean everything, or nothing,” the Oscar winner wrote.
“They could have just as easily said, ‘From my cold dead hands,’ or ‘Make America Great Again,’ or ‘Half-Off Tuesdays at Applebee’s!’” he added, injecting his signature blend of cynicism and humour.
Moore used the post to reiterate his critique of the US healthcare system, describing it as “ugly” and “heartless.”
“To help prove my point,” he continued, “please take a moment to let me share with you this extended clip from my Oscar-nominated documentary, Sicko, about the origin and history of our health insurance industry and how it makes money off of us.”
He also uploaded a segment of the film to YouTube, titled Deny, Defend, Depose.
UnitedHealthcare was hosting an investors’ conference in Manhattan on the day of Thompson’s killing, where the CEO was scheduled to present the company’s financial performance.
New York Police Department Chief Detective Joe Kenny stated that the suspect referenced visiting the conference venue in his notebook, according to CNN.
The 26-year-old suspect is currently being held in a Pennsylvania jail without bond, awaiting extradition to New York to face a murder charge. He also faces additional charges for firearms violations in Pennsylvania.
Michael Moore has been approached for comment.
