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Moment ‘controlling’ murderer blames ‘brain fog’ & almost falls asleep in front of cops after strangling girlfriend
THIS is the chilling moment a “controlling” murderer claimed he had “brain fog” and couldn’t remember strangling his girlfriend.
Jorge Blanco was jailed for 20 years after fatally strangling a woman until she turned “blue” in a flat in Luton.
The murderer was filmed blaming the death of the overseas student on his sugar levels, which cops later pinned as a “manipulation” tactic.
As the coercive killer is being told what his charges are, footage shows him clutching his head and appearing bewildered at Bedfordshire Police station.
He told the officer: “I have really bad brain fog.
“My diabetes, my sugar jumps.
“I’m just completely lost.”
Throughout his time in police custody, Blanco acts out a charade of confusion, and tells officers he feels cold.
Clips of him being escorted through the prison depict him staggering around with a towel wrapped round his shoulders.
The team at Bedfordshire Police station became more suspicious of the killers behaviour as he carried on acting tired, confused, and unsteady.
Eventually, they decided he could be attempting to play up his illness, pretending to be disoriented in an attempt to get a lighter sentence.
Blanco, originally from Mexico and living in Nevada, was located after cops received two concerning phone calls which they could track to an address in Luton.
Neither the killer or the victim were from the UK and it was unclear why either party was in the flat – the woman hadn’t been seen leaving the apartment since the day before.
The first was call from the victim, in which the line goes blank, and the other is from Blanco who explained there had been an argument between him and his girlfriend.
After cops asked if he was safe, Blanco replied: “I’m safe, she’s not.
“She’s blue in the face.”
Cops then made the heart wrenching discovery that she had attempted to contact them by hitting the SOS button on her mobile five times at 4am.
When the police were able to finally pinpoint where the signal was coming from, they burst into the flat – but it was too late.
Blanco was found lying over the woman’s lifeless boy, sprawled across the floor with a knife resting on the table.
Cops said it looked like he was giving her CPR but he turned round and said to police: “I need my medication.
“I’m a diabetic.”
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
As the woman he claimed to be his girlfriend was rushed to hospital in a coma, all Blanco did was ask what the time was and whether he could get his medication.
The victim died in hospital five days after the attack.
Once he was taken into custody Blanco appeared to be “dizzy” and even tells the officer he doesn’t know why he was there.
The police officer told him he’s in for attempted murder, saying: “I don’t know anything more about it than that, other than she’s still alive but it’s quite serious.”
As he is being told his he furrows his brows and appears to look confused.
He continued to show signs of “brain fog” throughout his time in custody, putting on a sleepy appearance in police interviews, and asking to see the nurse due to dizziness.
As he was being questioned his eye were fluttering and he began to shiver.
The officer read out Blanco’s chilling confession which was caught on a body camera.
In the back of a police vehicle he was recorded claiming: “I did it, I did it.
“I was laying on her, I didn’t know I was that tight on her.”
Blanco did have multiple scratches across his face and body, but cops concluded these were marks of self defence.
Unfortunately the woman suffered from a large bleed on her brain after she was suffocated by Blanco.
It was revealed the pair had a previous relationship in which he was “a controlling, manipulative, jealous man with narcissistic characteristics” the judge described.
Bedfordshire police major crime units’ DC Suzanne Seagrove said: “She was a bright woman with a bright future in front of her.
“And she nearly got away.”
CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione’s best friend breaks her silence on ‘blindsiding’ arrest as ghost gun found
SHOOTING suspect Luigi Mangione’s best friend says she was blindsided by his arrest in connection with the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The suspect’s pal Tracy Le, a data analyst based in New York, has been left “shaken” by the scandal and defended his character.
Mangione, 26, was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania while carrying a ghost gun, silencer, and handwritten manifesto on Monday, authorities confirmed.
The suspect has since been filmed being walked into Blair County courthouse in handcuffs for a preliminary arraignment around 6 pm.
He is yet to officially answer to charges or enter a plea.
His friend Le posted a lengthy tribute on Instagram Story just hours after he was named, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
She said: “Luigi Mangione is probably the most googled keyword today.
“When I first saw the news, I was hoping it was just either a common name or a mistake.”
She added: “Because it was, for a while, the only name whose FaceTime calls I would pick up. Luigi was one of my best, closest and most trusted friends.
“He was absolutely #1 in my group chat named ‘Tracey’s favorites.’
What we know…
- A person of interest was arrested at McDonald’s with a ghost gun, silencer, and the same fake ID used by the killer at a NYC hostel
- He had a handwritten manifesto on him that slammed healthcare companies for putting profits above care, sources said
- The arrest comes after police found the assassin’s backpack at Central Park and discovered Monopoly money inside
- Photos showed the suspected killer smiling as he pulled down his face mask to flirt with a hostel receptionist
- An expert said the killer’s gun malfunction may have been ‘for show’ and linked to a secret message on bullets
- The shooter milled around the entrance for minutes before sneaking up behind the CEO and unloading a barrage of bullets into his back and leg, eerie surveillance revealed
“He was whom I always came to for identity crisis rants, relationship problems, career complaints. And always left feeling better.”
Her tribute revealed the heartbreak and confusion she faced at the actions Mangione has been accused of taking.
She went on, “He was caring, and smart, and mature, and sweet, and so considerate.
“I would visit him and always 100% depended on him to plan the trips and always 100% believed we would have the vest time.”
She ended the heartfelt post, “I am shaken, I am blindsided, but most of all I, am sad.
“I am heartbroken. I am overwhelmed.”
Le is featured in several photographs with Mangione, which remain on her Instagram account, taken in Honolulu, Hawaii, back in April 2022 with a group of friends.
It is believed they were staying in a coliving complex together and often went surfing.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Le for further comment but did not hear back.
Mangione has been charged with five crimes including forgery, carrying a gun without a license, false identification to law enforcement authorities, and tampering with records or identification.
Timeline of Brian Thompson's murder
BRIAN Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot to death in Manhattan in an execution-like killing.
Here is everything we know about Thompson’s murder so far.
Monday, December 2 – Thompson travels from his home in Minnesota to New York City for an investor conference in Midtown Manhattan.
Wednesday, December 4, 6:45 am – Thompson walks from his hotel across the street to the New York Hilton Midtown and is murdered by a masked shooter. The execution was caught on surveillance, and the suspect was seen biking away toward Central Park. Cops spark a citywide search for the assassin.
11:30 am – Cops released disturbing images of the execution, offered a reward for information, and made a desperate plea for New Yorkers to keep their eyes out.
12:00 pm – Thompson’s estranged wife Paulette revealed her husband had been threatened before he was shot.
2:45 pm – Cops released more eerie images of the suspect ordering at Starbucks that partially revealed his face. The U.S. Sun confirmed the coffee shop was just two blocks away from the shooting, but it’s unclear when he stopped by.
December 5, 6 am – Reports claim the words “deny,” “dispose,” and “defend” were engraved on live rounds and shell casings left behind by the assassin. These words echo the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which is about the failings of the healthcare industry. The author of the book had no comment on the reports.
8 am– Cops raid a hostel in the Upper West Side of New York City where the suspect is said to have stayed. It’s believed he wore a mask for most of the time he was there.
11 am – A person of interest in Thompson’s murder is pictured. He’s wearing a hood in the photo, but his full face could be seen breaking into a beaming grin. Still, no arrests have been made in the investigation.
Afternoon – Law enforcement confirms the suspect arrived in New York City on a Greyhound bus on November 24. It’s also confirmed that the suspect dropped a burner cell phone near the scene of the shooting.
December 6, 3 pm – Police announce they believe the killer has left New York City via interstate bus. They release more surveillance footage that shows him taking a taxi to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.
December 9 – Luigi Mangione, 26, is arrested as a “strong person of interest” at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was carrying a three-page manifesto, fake IDs, and a gun similar to the one used in Thompson’s murder.
He was ordered to be held without bail as prosecutors cited false IDs he was caught with and argued he was a flight risk.
The Ivy League graduate was arrested five days after Thompson, 50, was gunned down in the street outside of a hotel in Manhattan which sparked a huge manhunt.
New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said he was sat in the fast food restaurant eating when cops approached him.
Authorities claim he had writings on his person that criticized the health insurance industry.
“We don’t think that there’s any specific threat to other people mentioned in that document, but it does seem he has some ill will toward corporate America,” Kenny said.
Thompson was gunned down at 6.45 am on Wednesday as he walked across the street from his hotel and into an investor conference at a Hilton on West 54th Street.
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