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CEO Murder: How A Hash Brown At McDonald's Ended Manhunt For Luigi Mangione

The rare times in which Luigi Nicholas Mangione removed his face mask may have been the main reason for his arrest for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after a five-day manhunt.

Luigi Mangione at the McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with his mask pulled down prior to his arrest on Monday, Dec. 9.

Luigi Mangione at the McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with his mask pulled down prior to his arrest on Monday, Dec. 9.

Photo Credit: Pennsylvania State Police
Both photos released by police of Mangione at the McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, prior to his arrest on Monday, Dec. 9.

Both photos released by police of Mangione at the McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, prior to his arrest on Monday, Dec. 9.

Photo Credit: Pennsylvania State Police
Luigi Mangione

Luigi Mangione

Photo Credit: Pennsylvania State Police
Luigi Mangione

Luigi Mangione

Photo Credit: Altoona (PA) Police
Luigi Mangione, age 26, left, has been charged with the Wednesday, Dec. 4 murder of 50-year-old United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Luigi Mangione, age 26, left, has been charged with the Wednesday, Dec. 4 murder of 50-year-old United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Photo Credit: LinkedIn via Luigi Mangione/United Healthcare
Images of Mangione at a hostel in Manhattan when he was a described as person of interest in the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson released last week by the NYPD.

Images of Mangione at a hostel in Manhattan when he was a described as person of interest in the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson released last week by the NYPD.

Photo Credit: NYPD

In the first instance, Mangione was asked by a receptionist at a hostel in Manhattan's Upper West Side to remove the mask so she could compare his face to the photo on an allegedly fake ID.

The 26-year-old Maryland native checked in there 10 days before the targeted shooting that happened on Wednesday, Dec. 4 outside the Midtown Hilton Hotel.

The next situation in which he was seen without a mask occurred on Monday, Dec. 9, at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where the Greyhound bus Mangione was traveling on stopped for breakfast at around 9 a.m.

In photos released by Pennsylvania State Police, Mangione can be seen at the McDonald's eating a hash brown with his mask lowered. Another photo shows him there with the mask back on.

According to witnesses, one customer joked that Mangione resembled the person of interest wanted in Thompson's slaying. But instead of laughing, the other customer told a McDonald's employee, who called 911.

"The customer recognized, notified an employee and wanted someone to check it out further," said Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said at a press conference.

Two officers then responded, including a rookie, Tyler Frye, who's only been on the job for six months. 

Frye said at the same press conference that after Mangione removed his mask, he "recognized him immediately."

"We didn't even think twice about it," Frye said. "We knew that was our guy.

"It feels good to get a guy like that off the street, especially starting my career this way."

This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

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