James Patterson to write book about Luigi Mangione
Mangione is currently awaiting trial for the murder of Thompson, who was shot and killed in Manhattan on 4 December last year.
'This is a story about the American Dream Gone Wrong,' said Patterson in a statement on the book, which does not yet have a title or release date. 'It's also a story of one young man's descent from Ivy League graduate to notorious accused killer to so-called political martyr.'
Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of murder, using a weapon with a silencer, and two counts of stalking. The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, said earlier this year that she had directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
'Like millions around the world, Vicky and I were riveted by coverage of the five-day manhunt from Midtown Manhattan to Altoona, Pennsylvania,' Patterson said. Mangione was eventually arrested in a McDonald's.
'This story touches all of us,' said Ward. 'It goes to the heart of the social, cultural and political issues dividing the US right now. Nothing is more of a reviled black box than the health insurance industry, and it's time to open it up, through a crime that has caught the attention of the country.'
The book will be published by Little, Brown in the US, which also published The Idaho Four, Patterson and Ward's recent book on the murder of four students.
The news comes in the same week that Franco said he would be open to playing Mangione in a biopic when asked on the talkshow Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Tuesday. 'No one has approached me about it yet, I'll say that … More people in my life reached out about this exact thing than anything else that has ever happened. Let's just say I am open if it's the right people, and let's leave it at that.'
Sign up to Bookmarks
Discover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you
after newsletter promotion
After the shooting, Mangione gained an avalanche of support on social media. The online fandom has sparked criticism for glorifying an alleged murderer. 'The suspect, who police now believe to be Mangione, was a fit young man and I think it'd be mistaken to overlook the degree that likely propelled the story,' Jared Holt, a senior research analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, told the Guardian in December.
'The other feature of Mangione is one that plays an outsized role in every single point of American life: his race,' wrote Ben Makuch in the Guardian at the time. 'If he were Black or Latino, this story would likely have played out very differently.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
2 Pennsylvania state troopers have been shot, governor says
Two state troopers were shot Thursday in a rural area of Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro said at an event outside Philadelphia. Shapiro said that in the late morning in Susquehanna County, 'two state troopers were shot. Lori and I are praying for those troopers. I want you to know I've communicated with Col. Paris. He is on the scene." Christopher Paris heads the Pennsylvania State Police. An aide said Shapiro headed to the shooting location in the northeastern Pennsylvania county, which borders New York state. A state police spokesperson, Trooper Logan T. Brouse, said the location was along Route 171 near the village of Thompson. That's about 163 miles (262 kilometers) north of Philadelphia. Angelica Howell, a deputy coroner in Susquehanna County, said shortly after 3 p.m. that she was on her way to where the shooting occurred. Howell said authorities did not indicate whether there was more than one person dead when they asked the coroner's office to respond. Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick said in a social media post that he was monitoring the developing situation. He also expressed empathy for the troopers who were shot. 'Dina and I are praying for our brave state troopers in Susquehanna County and monitoring the situation closely as more details emerge,' McCormick posted. U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan said on X that he was 'relieved to hear the troopers involved in today's incident in Thompson Township are expected to be in stable condition.'
Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Sad details of country legend's funeral revealed after Dolly Parton dubbed star as her 'dearest friend'
Fans of country music icon Jeannie Seely will have the chance to say their final goodbyes in the most fitting way possible. Jeannie, who died on August 1 at the age of 85, will be honored with a public memorial service on August 14 at 11am (EST) at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee. The emotional tribute will serve as what would have been her 5,398th Opry performance. She held the record for the most Opry appearances in history with her final goodbye acting as a nod to her remarkable legacy with 5,397 appearances on the historic stage over the course of her career. Even fans who are unable to attend in person will be able to watch the service online with a broadcast on WSM 650 AM and live stream via Vimeo. The beloved performer, whose first performance at the Opry was in 1966, was inducted the following year and remained one of its most active members for nearly six decades. In the wake of her passing, country star Dolly Parton took to Instagram to pay tribute to her longtime friend and fellow legend. 'I have known Jeannie Seely since we were early on in Nashville. She was one of my dearest friends,' Dolly wrote. 'I think she was one of the greater singers in Nashville and she had a wonderful sense of humor. 'We had many wonderful laughs together, cried over certain things together and she will be missed.' In lieu of flowers, Jeannie's family has asked for donations to be made to the Opry Trust Fund. It supports those in the music industry during times of need or to a pet-related charitable organization, reflecting Jeannie's well-known love of animals. Jeannie died at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, from complications brought on by an intestinal infection, according to People. Her death follows the loss of her husband Eugene Ward to cancer in December. Jeannie had been plagued by health problems since last year, and she announced in May that she had undergone multiple surgeries on her back to repair her vertebrae. The performer also said she had two emergency abdominal surgeries and developed pneumonia during an 11-day stay in the intensive care unit. Jeannie was known for her distinctive soul-inflected vocal delivery, which earned her the nickname 'Miss Country Soul.' Her 1966 single Don't Touch Me became a hit on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart after ascending to number two, and she followed it up with more hits, including A Wanderin' Man (1967) and I'll Love You More (Than You'll Need) (1968). All three songs were written by Jeannie's future husband, Hank Cochran, whom she wed in 1969. The couple separated later in the 1970s, and their divorce was finalized in 1979. Cochran died in 2010 at age 84 from cancer. In 2010, Jeannie married her second husband, the Nashville-based attorney Eugene. He was plagued by health problems not long after the nuptials, and he died on December 13 after being diagnosed with cancer.
Telegraph
23 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Two dead after helicopter crashes into boat on Mississippi River
Two people have been killed after a helicopter crashed into a boat on the Mississippi River. The crash triggered a fire that sent large black plumes of smoke into the air. Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the incident happened when the helicopter became entangled with electrical cables. It then struck the barge, which had no passengers. Emergency response teams from both Missouri and Illinois made their way to the scene on Thursday morning, close to the town of Alton, 20 miles north of St Louis. Cpl Dallas Thompson of the Missouri state highway patrol told the Associated Press two people on the aircraft were killed and that there were no other reported injuries. The identities of those who were killed were not immediately made public. The river was closed to commercial navigation after the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB will investigate the incident. Reports said teams from the NTSB are expected to arrive at the location and start their investigation on Friday. One element of their investigation will be to collect all air-traffic control communication and aircraft maintenance records. There is typically a check into the last 72 hours of the pilot. The final report could take anywhere up to two years to complete.
