UnitedHealth CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione to face court in New York | crime news
Mangione faces new federal charges in the US that carry the possibility of the death penalty.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, has appeared in a New York court to face new federal charges including murder and stalking.
Mangione was arraigned on Thursday following his transfer from Pennsylvania to New York after waiving his right to extradition proceedings.
Shackled at the ankles and wearing a blue sweater and beige slacks, Mangione said little during a 15-minute appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Katherine Parker in Manhattan.
According to an unsealed criminal complaint, the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, who was already facing multiple state charges, was charged with murder using a firearm, two counts of stalking and using an illegal gun silencer .
The federal charges raise the possibility that Mangione could face the death penalty if prosecutors seek it.
Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said it was a “highly unusual situation” for a defendant to face state and federal cases simultaneously.
“To be honest, I’ve never seen anything like what’s happening here,” Friedman Agnifilo said.
According to the criminal complaint, Mangione traveled from Georgia to New York “for the purpose of stalking and killing Brian Thompson.”
According to the complaint, a notebook found in Mangione’s possession after his arrest at a McDonald’s outlet in Altoona, Pennsylvania, contained several handwritten pages that “expressed hostility towards the health insurance industry and particularly wealthy executives”.
According to the complaint, an entry in August stated that “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box,” while an entry in October described the intent to “destroy” an insurance company CEO. Had gone.
Police say bullet casings found at the murder site had the words “delay,” “denial” and “insult” written on them, which are commonly used to describe insurers’ tactics to avoid paying claims. Reminds me of the go-to phrase.
As Mangione was convicted in court, supporters gathered outside carrying posters that read, “Health over wealth” and “Luigi set us free”.
James Dennehy of the FBI New York Field Office said that Mazzione’s alleged actions amounted to a “carefully pre-planned and targeted execution”.
Dennehy said, “This alleged conspiracy displays a callous attitude towards humanity – considering murder a justifiable recourse to appease personal grievances.”
