Image Of Luigi Mangione On Shein Ad — Real Or AI? Plus Five Other Handsome Killers Revered Through Time

A product photo on Shein briefly appeared to show the likeness of Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, modelling a white, short-sleeved shirt priced under £8.

The image was swiftly removed, but not before it sparked a bigger question: was the picture real or AI-generated? According to BBC Verify, Amazon Rekognition reported a 99.9% similarity between the model's face and a courtroom image of Mangione. Visual glitches, such as an odd skin texture, a blob-like artefact above the right forearm, and unnatural finger segmentation, fueled suspicion that the picture was either AI-generated or heavily manipulated.

The controversy has also reignited a darker conversation about society's troubling fascination with violent men whose looks become part of the story.

Shein Pulls The Image And Opens An Investigation

Shein said the photo came from a marketplace vendor and was removed immediately.

In a statement to BBC News, a spokesperson said, 'The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery... We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies.'

It's unclear how long the listing was live or who uploaded it. Separately, Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal murder and stalking charges. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he's convicted.

Real or AI? What Experts And Tools Suggest

BBC Verify's facial-match result alone does not prove the image's origin. Generative-AI specialist Henry Ajder flagged multiple anomalies consistent with AI imagery or manipulation—lighting, skin texturing, finger segmentation, and the artefact near the forearm.

Researcher Henk van Ess said the most likely scenario is an AI composite in which a real photo of Mangione's face is blended onto an AI-generated body. He pointed to Midjourney as a probable tool.

The low image quality and suspicious artefacts support the AI theory, but the precise method hasn't been verified.

The Dark Fandom Problem Isn't New

Mangione's case has drawn online supporters and even courthouse crowds. Fundraisers have raised thousands toward his defence, and merchandise bearing his name surfaced on major platforms, some of which were later removed.

Cultural critics note that physical appearance can skew public empathy, and it can be a dynamic that can distort how high-profile crime suspects are perceived long before a verdict. Moreover, all the discourse over Mangione's looks and fan following is not something the world is witnessing for the first time.

Public fascination with attractive or charismatic violent men has a long, well-documented history. Here are some infamous examples:

1. Richard Ramirez (Night Stalker) — Convicted of a series of murders in 1980s California, Ramirez's rock-star swagger and courtroom theatrics drew fan mail and admirers despite the brutality of his crimes.

2. Andrew Cunanan — The spree killer who murdered Gianni Versace was socially fluent, well-dressed, and multilingual, moving through elite circles with deceptive ease.

3. Charles Sobhraj (The Serpent) — A convicted killer and con artist who preyed on tourists across Asia, he has a cool affect and manipulative charm over people that helped him win trust and evade capture.

4. Jeremy Meeks — Not a killer, but dubbed the 'hot felon' for his unusual eyes and sharp features, Meeks gained viral fame after his mugshot was posted to Facebook following a 2014 arrest for weapons charges. Benefiting from the fame, he landed a modelling contract after his release from prison.

5. Ted Bundy — Charismatic and outwardly respectable, Bundy leveraged intelligence and a clean-cut image to gain victims' trust and even represent himself in court.

These cases illustrate how looks and mythmaking can distort public narratives around violent criminals.

If Shein's listing did use an AI-altered image of a high-profile defendant, it highlights a growing platform-risk triangle: marketplace scale, third-party vendors, and cheap generative tools. Even when platforms react quickly, damage spreads fast on the widely interconnected world of social media, from misidentification to inadvertent glamorisation.