Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was transported back to New York on Thursday via plane and helicopter to face federal charges of stalking and murder. If convicted, these charges could carry the death penalty.
Court Appearance and Charges
Upon arrival in New York, Mangione appeared in Manhattan federal court, where he was ordered held without bail. Shackled at the ankles, the 26-year-old confirmed to a magistrate judge that he understood the allegations against him during a brief 15-minute hearing.
Earlier in the day, Mangione faced court in Pennsylvania, where he had been arrested on Dec. 9, five days after the ambush killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. After those proceedings, he was handed over to a large contingent of NYPD officers and flown to Long Island before being transferred by helicopter to Manhattan.
Mangione faces two federal counts of stalking and one count each of murder with a firearm and a firearms offense. Murder by firearm could result in the death penalty, though prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek it.
State and Federal Cases Running in Parallel
In addition to the federal charges, Mangione was indicted in New York state earlier this week for murder as an act of terrorism, which carries a maximum sentence of life without parole. While New York does not have the death penalty, the federal charges bring that possibility into play.
Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo described the dual prosecutions as “highly unusual” and reserved the right to petition for bail later. She declined further comment after leaving the courthouse.
Details of the Killing and Arrest
Mangione is accused of shooting Thompson, 50, on Dec. 4 as the CEO was walking to an investor conference in Manhattan. Authorities say video footage shows a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind before firing multiple additional shots.
When Mangione was captured in Altoona, Pennsylvania, he was reportedly carrying the murder weapon, fake IDs, a passport, and $10,000 in cash. Investigators also found a notebook in his possession containing handwritten pages expressing anger toward the health insurance industry and corporate executives.
Motive and Background
Federal filings describe Mangione’s growing hostility toward the healthcare system. One notebook entry from August labeled insurance as a “target” because it “checks every box,” while another entry from October allegedly detailed plans to “wack” a CEO at an investor conference.
Despite his apparent grievances with the healthcare industry, UnitedHealthcare confirmed that Mangione was never one of their clients.
Mangione, a computer science graduate from a well-known Maryland family, had posted extensively on social media about his struggles with chronic back pain and the relief he found through spinal surgery last year. In a Reddit post, he urged others with similar conditions to demand care, writing, “We live in a capitalist society,” and advising people to frame their pain in terms of its impact on work to get faster medical responses.
Family and Corporate Reaction
In recent months, Mangione had reportedly distanced himself from family and friends. His family, who reported him missing in San Francisco in November, released a statement saying they were “shocked and devastated” by his arrest.
Thompson, meanwhile, leaves behind a wife and two teenage children. Raised on a farm in Iowa, he had a long career with UnitedHealth Group, eventually becoming CEO of its insurance division in 2021.
Public Backlash and Outpouring
The killing sparked widespread discussion about public resentment toward the U.S. healthcare system. Some social media users framed the murder as retribution, adding to the tension in corporate circles.
Mangione’s case now moves forward in both state and federal courts, with prosecutors signaling that the state case will likely proceed to trial first. As the legal process unfolds, the shocking murder continues to reverberate through the corporate world and beyond.
Here’s the latest:
Mangione’s notebook described intent to ‘wack’ an insurance company CEO, federal complaint says
The newly unsealed complaint quotes some of the writings in a notebook prosecutors say was found on Mangione, expressing “hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular.”
An entry from Aug. 15 said “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box,” according to the filing, while an Oct. 22 entry “describes an intent to ‘wack’ the CEO of one of the insurance companies at its investor conference.”
“This investor conference is a true windfall … and — most importantly — the message becomes self evident,” the notebook entry read, according to the complaint.
Federal authorities file murder, stalking and weapons charges against suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO faces new federal charges of murder, stalking and weapons charges, according to a complaint unsealed Thursday.
Luigi Mangione agreed to return to New York to face a state murder charge Thursday at a morning court appearance in Pennsylvania where he was arrested last week after five days on the run. It was unclear when he would be in court on the federal charges.
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO will face new federal charges
The federal charges against Luigi Mangione remain sealed, but several people familiar with the matter say the case will be made public in the afternoon. The people spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release information publicly.
A courtroom had been set aside in a Manhattan federal courthouse for Mangione’s appearance and an overflow courtroom was designated as a location for people to watch the proceeding on video in the event there are more people than can fit in the courtroom.
— Larry Neumeister and Michael R. Sisak
DA Peter Weeks explains what comes next
“Because of the defendant’s reversal today and decision to waive his preliminary hearing as well as his extradition, certainly we believe it’s in the interests of justice to turn him over to the New York City police department and Manhattan district attorney’s office, which we did,” the Blair County district attorney told reporters after the hearing in Pennsylvania. “He is now in their custody. He will go forth with New York to await trial or prosecution for his homicide and related charges in New York. We intend to keep our case active and we intend to essentially revisit the case when the defendant is available for prosecution in Blair County.”
Asked at the news conference if he was aware of any planned federal charges against Mangione, Weeks said: “I have not spoken to any federal officials about Mr. Mangione absent casual conversation with a few FBI agents the Monday he was apprehended, and they certainly didn’t discuss any of that with me.”
The district attorney in Blair County, Pennsylvania, Pete Weeks, speaks after the hearing
“Violence to make your point is never acceptable in our country, in our system of justice,” Weeks said.
Mangione was taken out of the courthouse by a group of NYPD officers and put into a waiting SUV
He appeared to glance at a TV camera but did not say anything.
The black SUV then drove off.
Luigi Mangione agrees to extradition, will return to New York
In court in Pennsylvania, Mangione and his lawyer, Tom Dickey, pored over documents, with Mangione occasionally nodding. He was immediately ushered out of the courtroom at the conclusion of the hearings.
Who is Mangione’s attorney?
Luigi Mangione has added a prominent defense lawyer to his legal team as Manhattan prosecutors work to return him from Pennsylvania to face a murder charge.
Mangione will be represented by Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who was a high-ranking deputy in the Manhattan district attorney’s office for years before entering private practice.
Friedman Agnifilo’s law firm, Agnifilo Intrater LLP, confirmed in a statement late Friday that she had been retained to represent Mangione. The firm said she will not be commenting on the case at this time.
? Read more about Mangione’s legal defense team
TV trucks line the street in front of the courthouse
And reporters are waiting in line to get inside the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
A few supporters of Mangione are also in line, holding signs that say “Luigi the people hear you,” “Murder for profit is terrorism” and “Free Luigi.” One man said he came from Ohio to attend the hearings
How New York prosecutors used a terrorism law in the charges against Luigi Mangione
New York prosecutors are using a 9/11-era anti-terrorism law in their case against the man charged with gunning down UnitedHealthcare’s CEO outside a midtown Manhattan hotel.
Luigi Mangione was indicted on charges of murder as an act of terrorism, under a state law that allows for stiffer sentences when a killing is aimed at terrifying civilians or influencing government.
If it sounds like an unusual application of a terrorism law, it’s not the first time the statute has been applied to a case that wasn’t about cross-border extremism or a plot to kill masses of people.
Mangione is jailed on other charges in Pennsylvania, where he is scheduled to appear at an extradition hearing Thursday that could clear the way for him to be brought to New York.
? Read more about the anti-terrorism law and the case surrounding the death of Brian Thompson.
What’s expected in court Thursday
The preliminary hearing on forgery and firearms charges and consideration of a fugitive from justice complaint against Luigi Mangione may not take long.
He is expected to waive extradition, clearing the way for his return to New York, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
Court officials said Mangione will attend the early morning proceedings at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg. If a judge authorizes his extradition, Mangione would then be brought to New York, where he could appear in state court for arraignment Thursday afternoon or Friday.
