A Florida woman has been accused of threatening a health insurer using the same chilling phrase found on bullet casings at the scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder.
Briana Boston, 42, allegedly made a menacing call to BlueCross BlueShield after a medical claim was denied. According to the police report, Boston ended the call with the words, “Delay, deny, depose. You people are next.”
This phrase mirrors the inscription found on the bullets used in the murder of Thompson, 50, who was shot in Manhattan last week while walking to an investor conference. Luigi Mangione, 26, has been charged with second-degree murder in the case, which has sparked widespread outrage and debate over the healthcare industry.
Authorities arrested Boston at her home in Lakeland, where she reportedly admitted to using the phrase but denied any violent intentions. She allegedly told investigators, “Healthcare companies play games and deserve karma because they’re evil.” Boston also claimed she used the words because they were “in the news” and insisted she does not own a gun or pose a danger to anyone.
Despite her claims, Boston has been charged with making threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism. Her bond was set at $100,000, with the presiding judge calling it “appropriate considering the current state of the country.”
Thompson’s murder sent shockwaves through the business world, with his killer evading a massive six-day manhunt before being captured. The bullets found at the scene referenced the book Delay, Deny, Defend by Jay M. Feinman, which critiques the practices of insurance companies.
Thompson’s assassination has reignited conversations about the healthcare system, with some framing the killer as a vigilante striking back against corporate greed. However, Boston’s case underscores the volatile emotions tied to the industry—and the dangerous potential of those emotions to spill over.
