By Faye Curran

Copyright newstatesman

It might have been the lighting. Either that, or the austere prison diet. Some claimed the drab tan of his prison uniform clashed with the warmth of his olive complexion and the unruly darkness of his curls. No matter the cause, one truth remained: “His beauty hadn’t faded a day.”

Tuesday 16 September was a big day for Luigi Mangione. After nine months sequestered in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, Brian Thompson’s alleged assassin was in court to stare down a battery of indictments – eleven state charges and four federal counts – including first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, weapons possession, and stalking.

It was also a big day for the Luigi Mangione fan club. They had been sending letters, donating tirelessly to his legal fund, and devoting every waking hour since his apprehension on 9 December 2024 to crafting fan edits, penning blog posts, and rallying support. Now, they would get a fresh glimpse of their golden boy.

As he strode through flashing cameras and jeering crowds at Manhattan Supreme Court, Mangione held his head high. His cuffed hands rested against the belly chain cinched across his tan uniform; shackles bound his feet – and his female fans followed in close pursuit. A blonde woman beamed for the cameras, proudly flaunting her “Free Luigi” t-shirt, while others ducked behind masks and tightly-drawn hoods. Among them, one spectator sported a tee from a Brooklyn pizza restaurant called “Luigi’s”.

Online, however, the appearance sparked in-fighting at Camp Mangione, where one Reddit user ignited a feud by declaring that the accused looked “overweight, tired, and very pale. The jail life taking a toll quickly.”

“Terrible and overweight?! Well, damn, I guess I’m the albino version of Shrek,” retorted one user.

“He looks healthy and muscular – I doubt there’s a whole lot to do locked up, and he’s probably focused a lot on weight lifting,” countered another.

“People seem to forget he’s in jail, not a resort, so yes, he’s going to look tired… They get little-to-no sunlight, are constantly woken in the night for ‘checks’, and sleeping in close quarters with other men certainly does not guarantee a quiet night. He has a job, which, if I remember correctly, requires him to get up early every day. The food is abysmal, so he’s probably surviving on very nutrient-deficient meals.”

These are the voices of some of the 3,000 self-proclaimed “justice seekers” who contribute daily to the LuigiLore Reddit thread (that’s not to mention the Discord chats, X accounts and Instagram pages dedicated to Mangione). The forum describes itself as “an impartial and safe community dedicated to discussing the case, uncovering hidden messages, and mysteries connected to the Luigi Mangione case”. Yet these – mostly female – participants are not exactly eager to don their black homburg hats. While the group’s rules explicitly declare that it is “intended for respectful discussion and is not the place for comments about Luigi’s appearance, personal life, or any inappropriate topics related to this matter,” enforcement of these guidelines is, to put it mildly, lax.

The only way for Mangione’s fans to reach him is by letter, which he admitted he is receiving at a somewhat “overwhelming” rate. A fortunate few have received replies: Mangione has supposedly sent out 68 copies of the same story to his most devoted followers, each with a personal anecdote scribbled on the bottom.

Some fans have been accused of forgery, with sleuths comparing his tone, handwriting and paper to confirm the authenticity of the letters. “I have a harder time believing the printed letters are more authentic than the lined letters,” pondered one, “but really, who knows at this point, right?” A fan known as Jules allegedly received two. “I can’t believe she got two letters from him, she must be God’s favourite,” rivals wrote. Jules seemed to have cracked the code, others reckoned, by sending Mangione postcards rather than real letters.

“People are making themselves mad by reading too much into the story itself,” said one user, attempting to quell the discord on the Reddit thread. “Others (myself included) really enjoyed the story, and hope he continues sharing his tales with us.”

Mangione is the darling of these groups for disputed reasons. His fans insist that their devotion is not about fangirling. Lindsy Floyd, leader of the movement campaigning for healthcare reform and justice for Luigi Mangione, told New York magazine earlier this year her group is motivated by the belief that “health care and the healthcare industry should serve people and prioritise humans over the interests of profit”.

It is true that the Mangione-Thompson case has galvanised anger at America’s largely private healthcare system. Three 9mm shell casings from the crime scene appeared to express disdain for the industry. The words “delay”, “deny” and “depose” were written on them, an apparent reference to a 2010 book critiquing insurance industry tactics used to avoid paying for care. CNN reported that an emergency and international medicine doctor, Dr Shane Solger, was present at an April protest in support of Mangione. Dr Solger wore blue scrubs on behalf of the Physicians for a National Health Program, a group advocating for universal, single-payer healthcare.

The 27-year-old’s square jaw and tight curls are certainly not harming his appeal. Even if he appears paler, heavier, slimmer, in ill-fitting clothes, or washed out by poor lighting, Mangione is an objectively handsome young man. Among the highest rated posts on the LuigiLore forum is titled “Luigi Mangione’s Tinder pics in full quality”, the first of which shows him topless. The first suggested Google search for his name is “Luigi Mangione height”.

In the event, much of the case collapsed in the Manhattan court on 16 September. Judge Gregory Carro dismissed the terrorism-related counts, including the first-degree murder charge that could have locked Mangione away for life. The federal charges remain, however. In New York he still faces second-degree murder – a crime carrying a sentence of 25 years to life – alongside nine other counts.

As these cases move forward, Mangione’s fate hangs in the air. Whether he faces 25 or 80 years behind bars, whether his motivations were noble or evil, whether he gains weight or loses it, just one thing is certain: fan edits, sketches, and donations to his legal defence – which currently total around $1.5m as of Tuesday – will not stop coming. Whatever their motivations, the fan club will not abandon Luigi Mangione.

[See also: Are barristers the most right-wing diners in Britain?]