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In June 2025, a list, titled, “27 Things I’m Grateful For,” that was purportedly written by Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, spread on social media.
Multiple versions of the document circulated on Instagram, Facebook, Reddit and X. They contained the same text but had different numbers written in ink at the top (“#33” and “#45”), and the signatures at the bottom also varied — one just read “Luigi Mangione” while the other included a handwritten note thanking a recipient named Josiah.
However, as of this writing, the authenticity of the letters remained unconfirmed. While the jail he was being held in confirmed inmates can send printed messages, and the format of the letters appeared consistent with such messages, officials warned that such documents can be easily forged. The defense team has also noted that fake letters attributed to Mangione had circulated online.
Snopes was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the letters as it was not possible to obtain copies directly, and no relevant authority or representative officially confirmed their legitimacy. We contacted Mangione’s representatives and attorneys to ask whether the letters were authentic. We will update this report if they reply.
What is in the alleged letters?
The documents were formatted as TRULINCS printouts, the federal system used by inmates to send electronic messages without internet access. They were both dated June 3, 2025, and appeared online a week later, from June 10 onward.
“Last month, on May 6th, I turned 27 years old. To mark the occasion, I took some time to reflect on 27 things I’m grateful for,” Mangione’s alleged message started.
Among the items listed were the mail room of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), Brooklyn, where Mangione was being held, memes and “Latinas for Mangione.” Some observers pointed to the 18th item, in which he was referred to in the third person: “The BOP music catalog. [Luigi is currently listening to “Television: The Drug of the Nation” by The Disposable Heroes of…].”
Others noted that the letter praised both conservatives “who fiercely conserve the aspects of our society that make us great” and liberals “who liberate us from the outdated aspects of our society that prevent us from being greater.”
How the documents spread
As of this writing, at least two versions of the letter could be found online, one labeled “#33” and another marked “#45,” implying a series of individualized but, ultimately, similar responses. As mentioned above, the letters varied slightly in sign-offs. Letter “#33” featured “Luigi Mangione” in a signature style, whereas letter “#45” included a message in handwriting style.
Entertainment news outlet TMZ appeared to be the first to report on one of the letters. In a June 10, 2025, article, TMZ claimed it had “confirmed it’s legit,” and that it was “an electronic communication sent from MDC Brooklyn.” The article linked to the letter marked “#33.” However, the outlet provided no specific details on how it confirmed the document’s authenticity. By June 11, TMZ had updated the article to remove the claim that the letter was “legit.” As of this writing, that claim no longer appeared in the report.
Snopes contacted TMZ for clarification and will update this report if we receive a response.
Around the same time, an Instagram user with the handle @luigis_dirty_mullet posted the “#45” version of the letter (archived) that was addressed to a recipient named “Josiah” and included a handwritten note at the bottom reading: “Thanks for the birthday message. Never lose the plot, Josiah. — Luigi.”
In the caption, the Instagram user insisted that the letter was authentic, writing:
In defense of my own record, this letter is totally legitimate. I have zero interest in faking any letter and I understand all the skepticism. The letter he sent was in response to a photo that I sent him nearing the mid of may. I don’t have a laptop, or a printer. There-fore how could I fake it? I’m even willing to uncover my name if that helps for “transparency” I guess.
(Instagram user @luigis_dirty_mullet)
In the comments section, the user said “sent [Mangione] a photo with a message on it.” In a comment under a separate Instagram post sharing the image, @luigis_dirty_mullet referred to the document as “my letterrrrrr.”
The user also posted an image purportedly showing the envelope in which the letter was allegedly sent that included the return address of MDC Brooklyn and Mangione’s Bureau of Prisons (BOP) number.
(Instagram user @luigis_dirty_mullet)
While the information on the alleged envelope matched the publicly available details about Mangione’s location, it was not possible to independently verify its authenticity. Snopes contacted the Instagram user to request additional evidence, such as an unredacted postmark or the original message the user claimed to have sent to Mangione, but the person declined to provide any documentation. The user reported not feeling comfortable subjecting Mangione’s name to further scrutiny, citing concerns about negative media coverage.
We also contacted MDC Brooklyn to inquire about the letter. David Richardson, an executive assistant at the facility, confirmed that inmates are allowed to print their TRULINCS messages and mail them out. He also stated that there was no limit on how many letters an inmate can send. Richardson noted that the formatting of the letter appeared consistent with legitimate TRULINCS output. However, he emphasized that “anything can be altered to appear original,” and that no one at the facility would be able to certify the authenticity of the document.
Mangione’s legal team has previously addressed the issue of letters attributed to him. On the defense team’s official website, an FAQ section warned: “Luigi’s legal team is aware of at least one AI handwriting generator and several forged letters claiming to be from Luigi via TRULINCS.” The website also noted: “Currently, we do not have a method to verify the authenticity of letters or emails attributed to Luigi.”
Below is an example the legal team provided of a forged letter.
(www.luigimangioneinfo.com)
The website also featured an image of a “real letter sent by Luigi.”
(www.luigimangioneinfo.com)
It should be noted that the signature at the bottom of the letter above, which his legal team confirmed is an authentic communication, is different to the signature at the bottom of the letter marked “#33” that was circulating online.
While the website included examples of both verified and fake letters, it made no mention of the “27 Things” list. When Snopes reached out for confirmation, we were directed back to the general FAQ section and did not receive a specific response.
In the past, we have investigated multiple claims related to Mangione that are available in this collection.
Sources:
Attorneys | Luigi Mangione Legal Defense Information. https://www.luigimangioneinfo.com/pages/attorneys/. Accessed 20 June 2025.
Check, Reuters Fact. ‘Fact Check: CNBC Did Not Publish Hoax Saying Luigi Mangione Died in Jail’. Reuters, 18 Feb. 2025. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/cnbc-did-not-publish-hoax-saying-luigi-mangione-died-jail-2025-02-17/.
Deng, Grace. “A Collection of Rumors about UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting Defendant Luigi Mangione.” Snopes, 6 Apr. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//collections/luigi-mangione-rumors-collection/.
FAQs | Luigi Mangione Legal Defense Information. https://www.luigimangioneinfo.com/pages/faq/#:~:text=How%20can%20I%20verify%20if%20a%20letter%20or%20email%20attributed%20to%20Luigi%20that%20I%20see%20online%20is%20real%3F. Accessed 20 June 2025.
—. https://www.luigimangioneinfo.com/pages/faq/#:~:text=Luigi%20Mangione%20(52503%2D511)%0AMDC%20Brooklyn%0AMETROPOLITAN%20DETENTION%20CENTER%0AP.O.%20BOX%20329002%0ABROOKLYN%2C%20NY%2011232. Accessed 20 June 2025.
—. https://www.luigimangioneinfo.com/pages/faq/. Accessed 20 June 2025.
Inmate Locator. https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/. Accessed 24 June 2025.
Luigi Mangione Reflects on 27 Things He’s Grateful for After 27th Birthday. 11 June 2025, https://web.archive.org/web/20250611010344/https://www.tmz.com/2025/06/10/luigi-mangione-27-things-he-is-grateful-for/.
MDC Brooklyn. https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/bro/. Accessed 20 June 2025.
Staff, T. M. Z. “Luigi Mangione Reflects on 27 Things He’s Grateful for After 27th Birthday.” TMZ, 10 June 2025, https://www.tmz.com/2025/06/10/luigi-mangione-27-things-he-is-grateful-for/.
TYSK. https://tysk.lamp.uscourts.gov/ex-offender-suggestions/trulincs-inmate-computer-system-w-y-s-k.php. Accessed 20 June 2025.
“What Is ‘Latinas For Mangione?’ Number 16 On Luigi Mangione’s Alleged ’27 Things l’m Grateful For’ List Explained.” Know Your Meme, 11 June 2025, https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/guides/what-is-latinas-for-mangione-number-16-on-luigi-mangiones-alleged-27-things-lm-grateful-for-list-explained.
