Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has secured high-profile legal representation as he faces a second-degree murder charge in New York. Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a veteran attorney and former chief assistant district attorney in Manhattan, will defend Mangione, according to a spokesperson for her firm, Agnifilo Intrater LLP.
Friedman Agnifilo, who brings decades of experience in criminal defense and litigation, previously served for seven years as second-in-command at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office under Cyrus Vance. She was instrumental in establishing specialized units, including the Human Trafficking and Hate Crimes Units, and has extensive expertise in handling complex homicide cases.
Law enforcement recently linked a 3D-printed gun found with Mangione at the time of his arrest to shell casings from the Midtown Manhattan crime scene. Additionally, Mangione’s fingerprints matched those found on items near the site of the shooting. Despite these developments, Mangione remains in custody in Pennsylvania, where he faces separate charges, including carrying an unlicensed firearm and forgery.
Manhattan prosecutors have also filed additional charges against Mangione, including three counts of illegal weapons possession. While Mangione has denied responsibility for Thompson’s murder, his Pennsylvania attorney, Thomas Dickey, expects him to plead not guilty to all charges in both states.
Authorities believe Mangione’s alleged motive stemmed from grievances against the health insurance industry and accusations of “corporate greed,” though he was not a UnitedHealthcare member.
