Metal Band Defends Alleged Murderer with Bizarre Alibi and Merch Campaign
A metal band has ignited controversy by defending Luigi Mangione, the primary suspect in the high-profile murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson. Mangione was arrested on December 9th after being located at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, He is currently fighting extradition to New York to face charges of first-degree murder, three gun charges, and forgery.
Thompson’s tragic death has spurred a wave of anger and grief, with many directing their outrage at American healthcare companies due to their controversial practices of denying coverage for various medical issues. In a shocking turn of events, instead of condemning the alleged crime, the metal band Sanguisugabogg offered an alibi for Mangione and launched a “Free Luigi” merchandise line.
“Just wanted to give a quick shout out to our friend Luigi who on December 4th around 6 AM helped us load our trailer and drive with us to play a secret set all the way to Point Arena, CA which is about 2800 miles from Manhattan and after staying at the show with us all night he bought merch from every band except for the hoodies and when we asked he just replied ‘2 things I hate most in this world are hoodies and 3D printed 9mm’. Thank you Luigi the world needs more people like you!”
The band doubled down on their support, justifying their peculiar defense by saying, “Sorry to anyone that was upset our friend won murderball it wasn’t really fair but it was awesome he gave the ball to an underprivileged orphan who received free merch from us!”
Adding fuel to the fire, Sanguisugabogg unveiled a Super Mario-themed design featuring Mangione, stating: “Looks like he might spend a lot of time in the clink so let’s get him a tape player and some books while he’s in there [in pre-orders].
Reactions to the band’s actions have been overwhelmingly negative. Many have criticized Sanguisugabogg for trivializing a serious crime and exploiting a tragedy for their own gain. The “Free Luigi” campaign, in particular, drew widespread condemnation for seemingly glorifying an alleged murderer.
