Mangione faces murder charges in three states, including murder as an “act of terrorism,” as well as separate federal charges.
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man accused of fatally shooting United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has pleaded not guilty to New York state charges claim he committed something an “act of terrorism.”
The plea, made Monday in a Manhattan court, came a few days after federal prosecutors announced submitted their own charges against Mangione in connection with the Dec. 4 killing of Thompson outside a midtown Manhattan hotel.
Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania on December 9th delivered to New York last week. He appeared in court Monday in handcuffs, wearing a burgundy sweater over a white collared shirt.
He leaned into a microphone and said “not guilty” when asked how he responded to the 11-count indictment, which includes three murder charges, including murder as an “act of terrorism.”
He faces life in prison if convicted on the state charge, but could face the death penalty if convicted on the federal charge.
Last week, Mangione, a graduate of the prestigious University of Pennsylvania and from an influential Maryland family, appeared in federal court in New York for the first time.
He was not asked to enter a plea to the federal charges. These include one count of using a firearm to commit murder, one count of interstate stalking resulting in death and one count of stalking using interstate facilities resulting in death.
“Deny, defend, reject”
Thompson’s murder has had repercussions re-examination the US healthcare system, where high costs often leave patients vulnerable to insurance companies’ decisions.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest health insurer in the country.
The attack had exposed long-simmering anger at the industry, with some calling Mangione a folk hero. A mention of Mangione during Saturday’s comedy show “Saturday Night Live” drew cheers from the crowd.
Even many medical professionals and patients condemning the violence took to social media in recent days to share stories about insurance companies denying claims.
About two dozen members of the public were present at Mangione’s arraignment, and a small group of supporters gathered outside.
One person held a sign that read “Deny, Defend, Reject,” a reference to the words engraved on bullet casings at the scene of Thompson’s murder. Those words are often used by critics to describe how health insurance companies dodge paying out claims, resulting in denied treatment or forcing patients to pay large bills out of pocket.
According to the federal criminal complaint, police who arrested Mangione found a notebook that contained several handwritten pages that “expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and particularly wealthy executives.”
An Oct. 22 notebook entry allegedly described an intention to “beat up” an insurance company’s CEO at its investor conference.
