Luigi Mangione pleads not responsible to homicide of healthcare CEO

The suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson has pleaded not responsible to homicide and terrorism costs in New York state.

Luigi Mangione, 26, appeared in courtroom Monday to be charged with 11 felony costs, together with homicide, a terrorism crime.

Along with the state stage costs, he’s additionally charged with federal (nationwide) stalking and homicide offenses that might result in a dying sentence.

Prosecutors say Mr. Mangione shot Mr. Thompson in midtown Manhattan earlier than fleeing. Authorities then arrested him at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Mangione appeared in courtroom Monday carrying a brown sweater, white collared shirt and khaki pants.

Along with a protracted stream of journalists awaiting the suspect’s look, members of the general public – nearly all younger ladies – have been current on the courtroom, a few of whom instructed CBS, the BBC’s US associate, that they have been there to indicate their assist. .

Mr. Mangione faces 11 New York State felony costs, together with first diploma homicide and homicide as a terrorism crime.

If convicted on all counts, he faces a compulsory sentence of life in jail with out the opportunity of parole.

Federal prosecutors additionally individually charged Mr. Mangione with utilizing a firearm to commit homicide and with interstate harassment leading to dying. Each costs may make him eligible for the dying penalty.

He has not but entered a plea to those costs.

Prosecutors have stated the federal and state circumstances will transfer ahead in parallel with one another.

In courtroom final week, Mr. Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, stated the 2 units of costs gave the impression to be contradictory, with the State’s costs accusing him of looking for to “intimidate or coerce a inhabitants civil,” whereas federal costs deal with crimes in opposition to a civilian inhabitants. particular person.

Ms Agnifilo stated the overlapping circumstances have been “complicated” and “very uncommon”.

“I’ve by no means seen something like this occur right here” in 30 years of training legislation, she stated.

In courtroom Monday, she additional instructed the decide that she believed statements from authorities officers — together with New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams — made her “very involved about my shopper’s proper to a good trial.”

“He’s a younger man,” she stated. “He’s being handled right here like a human ping-pong ball between two warring jurisdictions.”

She additionally accused state and federal authorities of treating Mr. Mangione as “political fodder” and a “spectacle” by flying him again to New York by helicopter, surrounded by officers and armed guards, in full view of cameras and journalists. .

Decide Gregory Carro stated he was unable to regulate what occurs outdoors of courtroom, however he promised that Mr. Mangione would obtain a good trial.

In response, the state’s legal professional stated he had by no means seen a case with a “increased quantity” of high quality proof.

The suspect is at the moment in federal custody on the Metropolitan Detention Heart (MDC) in Brooklyn after being returned to New York below excessive safety final week.

Authorities consider Mr. Mangione carried out a focused assassination of Mr. Thompson, pointing to proof that he was indignant on the U.S. well being care trade.

The federal criticism notes {that a} pocket book present in Mr. Mangione’s possession expressed “hostility towards the medical insurance trade and rich executives particularly.”

Some on social media praised Mr. Mangione’s alleged crimes, typically sharing their very own anger at America’s non-public well being care system.

Talking to CBS on Sunday, the BBC’s US associate Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated the net rhetoric was “terribly alarming”.

“It speaks to what’s actually boiling right here on this nation,” he stated. “And sadly, we see that manifesting itself within the violence, the home violent extremism that exists.”