Nathan Mahoney, Muskegon, Michigan newly hired accountant for Anderson Express stabs company president, Erik Denslow during company meeting as authorities explore stabbing motive amid claims employee was inspired by Luigi Mangione who stabbed an insurance healthcare CEO dead earlier this month.
A newly hired Michigan factory employee is accused of stabbing his company’s president during a staff meeting while horrified colleagues watched on, court documents revealed Wednesday.
Nathan Mahoney, 32, joined Anderson Express in Muskegon as an accountant earlier this month, and had only been working for the company for less than two weeks, FOX 17 reported.
What led to newly hired Michigan worker stabbing company president?
On Tuesday, Dec. 17, Mahoney allegedly walked into a company meeting circa 9.20 am and stabbed the manufacturing company’s president, Erik Denslow, with a knife under his ribs. The executive was transferred to a nearby hospital where he immediately underwent surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, the Fruitport Township Police Department stated in a release.
Mahoney fled the scene but was arrested less than an hour later.
At the time of the stabbing, Mahoney was observed getting up and leaving the meeting Tuesday morning only to return minutes later, walk over to the company president, and stab him in the side.
At the time of the attack there had been at least eight staff present when Mahoney stabbed Denslow in the ‘violent’ and ‘unpremeditated’ attack, police said.
Police said fellow employees described Mahoney as ‘having a quiet demeanor,’ according to MLive.
Mahoney had only worked for Anderson Express Inc. for two weeks and was being trained to replace a retiring employee at a high position in the company, police said according to WOOD.
Inspired by UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting?
Deputy Fruitport Township Police Chief Greg Poulson said investigators had not ‘ruled out copycat motive in regards to this,’ apparently referring to the murder of a insurance giant UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York earlier this month.
Luigi Mangione, 26, an Ivy League grad hailing from a wealthy Maryland family has since been charged in the murder. The suspect and tech whiz was found with a manifesto that indicated he targeted Thompson because of the ‘parasite’ practices of the company he led.
The health executive’s CEO murder has since led to wide swath of the public cheering the insurance chief’s murder. While many sympathized with the victim’s man’s family, many argued the executive headed up an entity which had exacted more violence, death and financial ruin to policy holders, who are often denied coverage amid record multi-billion dollar profit the insurance giant makes at their collective expense.
A recent poll cited 41% of young voters saying UnitedHealthcare CEO killing was ‘acceptable’.
‘I think that comes to everyone’s mind in this time,’ Poulson said. ‘We’re going through all his social accounts, all his electronic media and trying to determine a motive for this act.’
‘It seems to be the popular thing in this day and age,’ Poulson reflected.
Mahoney was arraigned on Wednesday and charged with assault with intent to murder, with bond set at $500,000. Mahoney was also charged with fleeing and eluding arrest on the day of the alleged assault and a separate bond of $1,000 was set, 13ABC reported.
The suspect to date has declined to speak to police, as authorities continue to investigate what led to the newly hired worker stabbing the company president.
Muskegon is about a 40-mile drive northwest of Grand Rapids.
