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Comment by avalys | Hacker News Reader

> Police revealed that finding the 26-year-old was a complete surprise, and that they did not have his name on a list of suspects prior to today.

"I'd rather be lucky than good!" Impressive that they do seem to have found the right guy, based on the documents in his possession, and this was apparently due solely to the one photograph of his face that the police found and released.

I also note that this guy apparently had back surgery a few months ago.

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I wonder if the McDonald's employee really recognized him from those couple of off-angle photos or if Mr. Mangione himself initiated the action in order to let someone "deserving" collect the reward. It seems to me that he wanted to be caught, and the amount of evidence that he was carrying on him is obviously meant to establish his identity beyond any doubt. The amount of meticulous planning he undertook for the actual shooting contrasts with the trail of evidence that he kept dropping along the way. He would've basically never been found if he had just worn a pair of sunglasses.

>in order to let someone "deserving" collect the reward.

Government rewards are always fake. They never pay out. Ever. The one guy who made it possible to catch Chapo is still "waiting" for his payout. If you're going to be a snitch, I guess you need to do it for the principle of the thing, there won't be any cash in your future.

Don't forget, the insurance company here (UHC) didn't bother to offer any reward at all.

>or if Mr. Mangione himself initiated the action in order to let someone "deserving" collect the reward.

this is a really interesting idea

Very - if he hates corporate elite than a random underpaid McDonalds employee getting 50K or 60K or whatever it is might line up with that

I thought it was a customer?

Both are being reported, at least here in the UK.

Customer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2zwqqr1ro

Employee: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/09/unitedhealth...

Yeah, the way I read it, it was some elderly customer at the McDonald's who tipped off the cops.

"We dragged our feet as hard as we could, but some idiot decided to call us"

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