Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
- Luigi Mangione appeared in New York state court, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
- He faces state charges, including first-degree murder as terrorism and federal charges with potential death penalty.
- Mangione, supported by public sympathy, pleads not guilty, claiming anger at corporate greed.
NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a busy Manhattan sidewalk, arrived in court on Friday.
The prosecution and defense are expected to give updates on the case on Friday. Judge Gregory Carro could set pretrial paperwork deadlines and might set a trial date.
Mangione arrived with his hands and ankles shackled, wearing a green sweater.
The 26-year-old has pleaded not guilty to state charges but has yet to enter a plea on federal murder charges related to the killing of Thompson as the executive walked toward the hotel hosting UnitedHealthcare's annual investor conference in Midtown Manhattan on December 4.
Although it's unclear if the status hearing will include any major updates in Mangione's case, it has attracted dozens of supporters and observers – a reflection of public fascination with the killing and Mangione himself. The suspect's attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, was greeted with applause and cheers when she arrived at the courthouse.
Signs of sympathy and support for Mangione dotted the scene outside the courtroom Friday morning. In the hours ahead of the hearing, dozens of people lined up for the chance to observe the proceedings, and supporters waved signs that read "Free Luigi" and "Healthcare is a Human Right." Posters of the CEOs of other major health care corporations appeared nearby the court, with the word "WANTED" emblazoned above a picture of each executive.
Inside the courthouse, would-be attendees – many of them young women – packed the hallway, some sporting "Free Luigi" apparel.
Friday's hearing takes place in the same courtroom where President Donald Trump faced criminal trial in a hush-money case last year.
A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Mangione with an 11-count indictment, which includes one count of murder in the first degree and two counts of murder in the second degree, along with other weapon and forgery charges. His Friday court hearing is scheduled to start at 2:15 p.m. ET.
The first-degree murder charge alleges he killed the executive "in furtherance of an act of terrorism," which is legally defined as an intent to intimidate or coerce the civilian population or a government unit. One of the second-degree counts also alleges Mangione committed murder "as a crime of terrorism."
He faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.
Prosecutors have argued Mangione expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives, a relatively mainstream position in modern American politics.
The public was captivated by the weeklong manhunt for Thompson's alleged killer, which ended when a customer and a worker at a Pennsylvania McDonald's reported Mangione to the police.
When Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania, investigators allegedly found on him the fake ID used by the suspect, the gun they believe was used in the shooting and a handwritten "claim of responsibility," authorities have said.
A charge of murder in the first degree is rare in New York because it requires special elements related to the crime to be charged.
Under state law, murder in the first degree only applies to a narrow list of aggravating circumstances, including when the victim is a judge, a police officer or a first responder, or when the killing involves a murder-for-hire or an intent to commit terrorism.
"This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation," District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in December.
Mangione was first arrested and taken into federal custody, but officials have since said his state trial will proceed first.
At his state court hearing in December, Agnifilo, Mangione's attorney, expressed concerns about her client's ability to obtain a fair trial, specifically citing Mayor Eric Adams' presence among the dozens of heavily armed law enforcement officials as he was extradited to Lower Manhattan from Pennsylvania.
"He's a young man and he's being treated like a human ping pong ball by two warring jurisdictions here," she said. "They're treating him like a human spectacle."
The judge told Agnifilo her client's trial would be fair, adding "We will carefully select a jury."
Mangione releases first statement behind bars
Investigators in New York say Mangione, a former high school valedictorian and Ivy League graduate born into a well-to-do family, appeared to be driven by anger against the health insurance industry and "corporate greed," according to a New York Police Department intelligence report obtained by CNN.
Mangione has received widespread public support, from offers to help pay for his legal bills to an extended applause at the mention of his name in a comedy bit on "Saturday Night Live."
The killing of Thompson, a husband and father of two, unleashed what some observers describe as Americans' pent-up anger and frustration with the nation's health insurance industry.
Mangione released his first statement from prison last week on a new website created and linked to by his attorneys at the law firm Agnifilo Intrater.
"I am overwhelmed by — and grateful for — everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support," reads the statement from Mangione.
"Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions, as mail has flooded MDC from across the country, and around the globe. While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive," the statement continued.
The website was created to help keep the public informed on his New York case updates, it says.
Mangione could face the death penalty in federal case
The federal criminal complaint charges Mangione with murder through use of a firearm, two stalking charges and a firearms offense. His next court hearing for the federal charges is scheduled for March 19, according to his attorneys.
Writings laid bare in a notebook found in Mangione's possession, authorities said, helped investigators build the federal case against him, a well-planned homicide involving stalking the movements of his alleged victim.
An entry dated August 15, reads: "The details are finally coming together," according to the federal complaint unsealed in December. "I'm glad — in a way — that I've procrastinated," Mangione allegedly wrote, saying it gave him time to learn more about the company he was targeting, whose name was redacted by prosecutors.
He could face the death penalty if found guilty of the federal murder charge, while the state charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors have not indicated whether they will seek the death penalty, and the decision would ultimately need to be approved by the U.S. Attorney General.
Earlier this month, Mangione beefed up his legal team by adding Avraham Moskowitz, an attorney experienced in death penalty cases. Moskowitz has represented more than 50 defendants charged in death penalty-eligible cases in New York, according to court filings and Mangione's attorneys.
The private practice attorney will work as a specialist with Mangione's lead attorney Agnifilo. "The charges could not be more serious and our client needs every resource at his disposal to fight these unprecedented charges in three jurisdictions," a spokeswoman for the law firm Agnifilo Intrater said in a statement.
Moskowitz was recommended by the Federal Defenders of New York to join as "learned counsel," or an attorney with deep experience in this highly specialized area of law – a common practice in death-penalty eligible cases.
