The man accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson to death on a public Manhattan street pleaded not guilty Monday to state murder and terrorist charges, just days after making a dramatic return to the city to face federal accusations in the case.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was arraigned after a brief hearing, with four New York police officers standing behind him. Minutes earlier, he was led into Judge Gregory Carro’s 13th-floor courtroom, tied by chain restraints, shackles, and cuffs.
Mangione faces 11 state criminal accusations, including one case of first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism and two counts of second-degree murder, one of which is an act of terrorism. Mangione is accused of attempting to “intimidate or coerce the civilian population.” If convicted of the state charges, he could face a life sentence without parole. A hearing on evidence to be used at trial was scheduled for February 21.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s defense attorney, stated in court that the justice system is treating her client “like a human pingpong ball” by trying him in numerous counties and moving him between them in short succession.
“They are treating him like he is some sort of political fodder, some sort of spectacle,” Friedman Agnifilo stated. “He is not a symbol, he is someone who is afforded a right to a fair trial.”
The Ivy League graduate from an affluent Maryland family has gained support from some Americans dissatisfied with the exorbitant expense of health care and insurers’ refusal to pay for some medical procedures.
On Monday, dozens of people gathered outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse to support Mangione. As commuters passed past, one protester played a trumpet and another screamed slogans into a bullhorn, directing the crowd in temps in the teens. The increasing audience erupted in slogans condemning the “for-profit” insurance landscape. Rallying shouts included “health care now,” “CEOs must go,” and “health care is a human right; we should not have to fight.”
Protesters speak out
Nicholas Zamudio, 33, donned thick, long gloves Monday and brandished a poster criticizing the nation’s health-care system, claiming it stole his job when he hurt discs in his neck and back at a cellphone store in 2021. Zamudio stated that he and Mangione, who blogged about his own medical issues and back problems, underwent the same procedure to correct comparable injuries.
“My lumbar, it hurts right now, it keeps me from sleeping, it keeps me from enjoying life,” said Zamudio, who has been unable to work due to his ailment.
Another activist, Alex Flanigan, expressed displeasure with how elected officials in New York handled the issue, which she claims pits the nation’s top 1% against the masses who lack adequate health care coverage.
“I want to add my voice to the call for a just health care system,” Flanigan told the audience.
Flanigan, a medical student, also claimed that law enforcement and Mayor Eric Adams unfairly made Mangione into a spectacle. “He has received so much unjust treatment from law enforcement so far, such as the perp walk, and the amount of force that accompanied the suspect,” Mr. Flanigan stated.
Federal conviction could bring death penalty
According to federal allegations released on Thursday, Mangione could face the death penalty if convicted of murder in federal court. The charges include murder with a firearm, two counts of stalking, and an additional firearms felony. A preliminary hearing on the federal charges is planned for January 18.
Mangione is also facing firearms and other charges in Pennsylvania, where he was apprehended at a McDonald’s restaurant following a five-day manhunt. Mangione appeared in a Blair County courtroom on Thursday, where he was joined by a large crowd of supporters. Andrea Aye stated that she drove from northern Ohio to the Pennsylvania courthouse for his hearing.
“We feel his anger, his frustration,” pointed out “It definitely awakened people up. “We heard him.”
At that hearing, Mangione forfeited his right to oppose extradition and was whisked back to New York by plane, helicopter, and SUV hours later for his federal arraignment. He arrived to see dozens of heavily armed officers, a swarm of media, and Mayor Eric Adams.
Defense lawyer calls charges ‘very confusing’
In addition to the murder charges, Mangione faces two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, and one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree.
Friedman Agnifilo stated last week that the federal accusations were intended to “pile on top of an already overcharged” state case against her client.
“After three decades of prosecuting and defending criminal cases in New York, I’ve never seen anything like what’s going on here,” Friedman Agnifilo said in federal court. She described the various prosecutions as “very confusing, highly unusual.”
Prosecutors look for motive in killing
According to the federal criminal complaint, entries in a handwritten notebook found from Mangione upon his detention revealed his “hostility toward the health insurance industry, and wealthy executives in particular.”
According to federal prosecutors, Mangione plotted the killing for months in order to spark debate about insurance business practices.
Brian Thompson remembered: ‘A friend to all’
Thompson, 50, was up on a farm between Jewell, Iowa, and Stanhope, and graduated from South Hamilton High School in 1993. He left for the University of Iowa and started working for UnitedHealthcare in 2004. He rose through the ranks to lead the Minneapolis-based health insurance company, which is one of the largest in the country, and was chosen CEO in April 2021.
“He was one of the smartest kids, if not the smartest, and I would say the smartest person I’ve ever known,” boyhood buddy Taylor Hill stated. “He was probably smarter than half of the teachers. And our instructors knew it, too.”
He held several senior positions in UnitedHealthcare over the years. He formerly served as chief executive officer of government programs, where he oversaw the company’s Medicare, retirement, and community and state businesses.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” UnitedHealth Group, United Healthcare’s parent company, said in a statement.