A Manhattan grand jury formally indicted Luigi Mangione, the suspect behind the 4 December killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He’s been charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of murder in the second-degree.
Mangione was already charged for the killing, but the terror allegation is new.
New York law stipulates that such a charge can only be brought when a crime has reasonable evidence of intent to “intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policies of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion and affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping.”
Mangione targeted and shot dead Thompson as he walked back to his hotel in Manhattan where he was holding an investor conference. The 50-year-old Minnesota-based business executive was the head of the United States’ biggest medical insurer.
“This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation. It occurred in one of the most bustling parts of our city, threatening the safety of local residents and tourists alike, commuters and businesspeople just starting out on their day,” said Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney.
Mangione is currently locked up in a Pennsylvania jail without bail as he awaits final sentencing. He was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania where was in possession of a ghost gun; an untraceable put together by self-assembling components purchased separately or part of a kit, and a three-page handwritten document that the police said showed “motivation and mindset” for Thompson’s killing. Shortly after first being detained, Mangione was charged with murder and four other counts.
Investigators working on the case believe Mangione’s motive is animosity towards the healthcare industry. The New York Police Department say Mangione suffered a back injury in mid-2023, requiring immediate medical intervention and subsequently a surgery requiring screws on his spine.
The NYPD say Mangione was in possession of handwritten notes that expressed “disdain for corporate America”, particularly the healthcare industry.
Officials lash out against ‘sick’ public praise for Mangione’s horrific murder
Bragg, accompanied by New York Police Department Commissioner, Jessica Tisch, criticised the positive public reception of Mangione.
The UnitedHealthcare CEO murderer was celebrated on various social media platforms for his ‘courage’, ‘fighting the system’ and ‘good looks’.
“Let me be perfectly clear. In the nearly two weeks since Mr. Thompson’s killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder. Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack. People ghoulishly plastered posters threatening other CEOs with an ‘X’ over Mr. Thompson’s picture, as though he was some sort of a sick trophy,” said Tisch in the joint press briefing with Bragg.
“We don’t celebrate murders and we don’t lionise the killing of anyone,” she continued.
Tisch also noted that any attempt to rationalise this murder is vile, slamming it as “reckless and offensive” to the principles of justice held dearly by many Americans.
What we know about Luigi Mangione
Though Mangione himself comes from a wealthy family, having attended an elite, all-boys high school in Baltimore where he graduated as his class’ valedictorian.
A classmate of his at highschool, Freddie Leatherbury, told the Associated Press about Mangione: “Quite honestly, he had everything going for him”.
His father, Nick Mangione, was a successful real estate developer known for Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference centre outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. One of his cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione.
Mangione earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science at the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania, where he learned to code and helped to start a club for people interested in gaming.
Since graduating, Mangione was employed as a data engineer for digital retailing website TrueCar and as an intern for video game developer Firaxis.
What’s next for Mangione?
Mangione has two court hearings scheduled for Thursday in Pennsylvania, including an extradition hearing, Bragg noted.
Earlier reports suggested Mangione may attempt to legally fight extradition to New York, instead favouring to serve his sentence in Pennsylvania.
US media outlet CNN was able to independently speak to Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who debunked those rumours and confirmed the suspect’s defence would not try to fight extradition.
Mangione currently faces 11 counts, if convicted on all, the 26-year-old Maryland native, could face a mandatory life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole.
