Luigi Mangione’s gigantic perp walk through Manhattan, in which he was flanked by dozens of heavily armed officers, garnered a mix of reactions online, but body language experts said there is more to the moment than meets the eye.
Mangione arrived via helicopter in the Big Apple after being extradited from Pennsylvania—where he was recognized at a local McDonald’s on Dec. 9 as the prime suspect in the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
According to forensic psychiatrist Carole Lieberman, M.D., M.P.H., Mangione’s face during his perp walk held a “mixture of his emotions.”
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“On the one hand, he’s not a happy camper being under the control of all these law enforcement officers,” Lierberman explained. “But, on the other hand, his smirk reveals that he’s happy and proud of himself to have necessitated so many officers to escort him.”
Mangione “is not a sociopath,” posited Lieberman. “He is someone who had big dreams to change the world and realized that his brain fog and back pain were going to hamper him from accomplishing them.”
She added, “The shooting was his last hurrah to make a lasting statement (like the Unabomber) to correct the unfairness of the world—notably insurance claim denials.”
Psychotherapist Jonathan Alperts had a similar take. “There’s no way for me to diagnose a mental health condition or personality disorder simply by looking at a video of him walking,” he said. “That said, his calmness today might suggest a silent defiance and coolness, or possibly even an acceptance of his situation.”
New York-based body language expert Fred Cuellar read deeper into what the public didn’t see during Mangione’s walk: “Slumped shoulders, looking at the ground, a concern, (like), ‘Geez, I don’t want to trip over myself.’” Cuellar added that Mangione’s “open posture” and confidence is the first thing he noticed.
“His shoulders are back. His head is back. He’s already figured out exactly how to move his feet so that he doesn’t have an issue,” he said. “The suspect’s shoulders indicate a confident and defiant stance. His posture is often associated with attempting to project strength and control, refusing to appear defeated or ashamed.”
Cuellar added that Mangione knows he has everyone’s attention.
“His looking around demonstrates that he is actively assessing his surroundings, potentially searching for familiar faces or media attention, showing alertness or engagement with the situation,” said Cuellar.
In comparison to photos of Mangione expressing “pure rage,” Cuellar said the public should take note that the seemingly different sides of Mangione are the same person.
“A person who has lost control,” said Cuellar. “There are so many people who want to make this guy a Boy Scout. But this guy was a guy who laid in wait.”
He added, “Maybe one day we will know his reasons, but this guy here, he is very, very calculated.”
It’s all in the eyes, said trauma therapist Shari Botwin.
She added about his perp walk: “His eyes are cold as ice, and he does not display any empathy for the impact of the alleged crime.”
