Luigi Mangione, a former Ivy League student facing charges for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly found himself in a physical confrontation with a group of seven transgender women in Thailand months before the alleged crime, as detailed in a recent report.

The 27-year-old Mangione is currently detained without bail in New York City, pending state and federal trials related to the December 4, 2024, early morning shooting of Thompson. The incident occurred outside a hotel where Thompson was scheduled to attend a shareholder meeting later that day.

Prior to the assassination, Mangione embarked on a journey across Asia, which included scaling a mountain in Japan and socializing with American expatriates in Thailand, as reported by The New York Times.

During his time in Thailand, Mangione was reportedly surprised by the affordable cost of an MRI compared to prices in the United States. He later confided in a friend via WhatsApp about being assaulted by a group of seven transgender women, referred to as “ladyboys,” in Bangkok in March.

Left: A vibrant scene from Bangkok’s nightlife. Right: Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appears at a court hearing in New York City on September 16, 2025. (iStock, Curtis Means/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

It’s not clear how serious about the brawl he was in the messages. He attached a photo showing scratches on his arm, according to the report. After that, he returned to Japan and took a spiritual mountain climb up a trail where women hikers are not allowed.

From there, he went to India, where he met with a writer who shared an interest in the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, according to the Times report.

By December, according to prosecutors, Mangione had allegedly written about his disdain for the American health insurance industry and wanting to “whack” a CEO. He is also accused of wanting “to incite national debates” about its shortcomings.

Luigi Mangione reportedly spent time in Tenkawa Village, in Japan’s Nara Prefecture, where he found some peace and quiet after his Thailand trip. (iStock)

Police found spent and unspent bullet casings while investigating the assassination, emblazoned with the words “deny,” “delay” and “depose.” They appear to be a reference to the title of a book that is critical of the U.S. health insurance industry called “Delay, Deny, Defend.”

Thompson, 50, was a married father of two from Minnesota, visiting New York City for a shareholder conference. Surveillance video shows a man approach him from behind and open fire with a handgun, which police allegedly recovered in Mangione’s bag when he was arrested five days later.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot to death in New York. (Businesswire)

A New York judge found no basis for terror-related charges in the alleged assassination case and threw them out last month — taking the top state charge of first-degree murder and a potential life without parole sentence off the table. Mangione still faces a second-degree murder charge, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, with the potential for parole.

Federally, he faces charges including interstate stalking and using a firearm to commit murder, which could carry the death penalty. In Pennsylvania, where police captured him after a five-day manhunt, he faces additional firearms and forgery charges.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty.