SVU Sgt. Michael Horan Recognized for Identifying a High-Profile Murder Suspect 25-015
On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, during the Officer of the Month celebration at City Hall, the San Francisco Police Department recognized Special Victims Unit Sgt. Michael Horan for his help in identifying Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of the United Healthcare CEO.
On December 4, 2024, Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, was tragically shot and killed in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Soon after, a manhunt for the violent suspect began, with extensive National media coverage focused on locating the suspect.
During that time, Sgt. Joseph Siragusa, Sgt. Jeff Chow and Sgt. Michael Horan, from the SFPD’s Investigations Bureau Missing Person’s Unit, was actively assisting a family in Baltimore with their missing son, Luigi Mangione. Mangione had been reported missing since November 18, 2024, and had not been heard from since July 2024. After working with the family to review Mangione’s social media accounts, Sgt. Horan observed a resemblance between the suspect from the New York City incident and the photos on Mangione’s social media.
Sgt. Horan immediately discussed his suspicions with his colleagues and supervisors. After other confirmations, Sgt. Horan contacted the lead FBI agent handling the case and forwarded his information. By December 6, the FBI was interviewing Mangione’s family and realized that their findings aligned with the Missing Person’s Units’ initial observation. Investigators now believed that the suspect was indeed Mangione.
On December 9, 2024, Mangione was spotted at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania and was taken into custody. The FBI later confirmed that Mangione was the murder suspect.
The success of the investigation was due in part to the diligent work of the Missing Person’s Unit, which utilized classic police techniques to identify Mangione and forward the critical information to the right authorities. Their swift action and thorough investigation were instrumental in solving this case. We congratulate them on their outstanding work.
Watch the Officer of the Month Awards Ceremony in its entirety.
SFPD Case# 240-719-114