The person who alerted police to the location of Luigi Mangione, the leading suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, might not get the $60,000 reward advertised in the manhunt.
In the manhunt for Mangione, who has since been charged with second-degree murder among other charges in connection with the shooting, the FBI advertised a $50,000 reward for anyone who could help lead authorities to the arrest and conviction of the suspect. The NYPD also offered a $10,000 award, but as of right now it's unclear if the individuals who helped authorities arrest Mangione will receive any of the two reward funds.
Mangione was arrested on Monday, Dec. 9 at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania after a McDonald's customer told an employee at the restaurant that they saw someone they believed could be the suspect in the shooting. Both the FBI and the NYPD have strict guidelines when it comes to awarding payments to anyone who reports potential suspects during a manhunt.
Per the FBI website, a U.S. investigating agency will need to nominate a person for any rewards offered by the bureau and anyone who claims to provide said information can't nominate themselves. The claims will need to be "carefully" evaluated by an interagency committee, and if the information does warrant reward it'll go to the Secretary of State, which "has complete discretion over whether or not to authorize any given reward." Additionally, the amount of the reward can be changed "within the terms of the law," and the Attorney General also has to agree with the decision.
The NYPD, meanwhile, offers rewards through its Crime Stoppers program. The department offers cash rewards for any information that leads "to the arrest and indictment of a violent felon," per Newsweek. Anyone who submits information to Crime Stoppers doesn't identify themselves and receives a reference number, and it appears as though the McDonald's employee who reported authorities did not do so through the Crime Stoppers line or website.
Essentially, a whole lot of red tape and specific rules means that the employee who potentially risked their safety won't receive any money despite helping to bring an end to one of the biggest manhunts in the United States in years.
Following Mangione's arrest, more information about the suspect has come out. When he was arrested, he was found carrying "multiple fraudulent IDs," a silenced firearm, and a handwritten, three-page document that serves as his manifesto. "These parasites had it coming,” the note reportedly reads. "I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done."
In the note, he also wrote that he acted alone and self-funded the hit on Thompson's life.
