Mangione faces new federal charges in the US that carry the possibility of the death penalty.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, has appeared in a New York court to face new federal charges, including murder and stalking.
Mangione was arraigned on Thursday after being transferred from Pennsylvania to New York after waiving his right to extradition proceedings.
Mangione was shackled at the ankles, wearing a blue sweater and beige pants and said little during a 15-minute appearance before United States Judge Katharine Parker in Manhattan.
The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, who already faces multiple state charges, was charged with murder with a firearm, two counts of stalking and using an illegal gun silencer, according to an unsealed criminal complaint.
The federal charges raised the possibility that Mangione could face the death penalty if prosecutors seek it.
Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said it was a “highly unusual situation” for a defendant to face state and federal cases at the same time.
“Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like what’s happening here,” Friedman Agnifilo said.
According to the criminal complaint, Mangione traveled from Georgia to New York “to stalk and kill Brian Thompson.”
A notebook found in Mangione’s possession after his arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, contained several handwritten pages that “expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and, in particular, wealthy executives,” the complaint says.
An August entry stated that “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box,” while an October entry described an intent to “screw” the CEO of an insurance company, the complaint says .
According to police, the words “delay,” “denial” and “deposition” were scrawled on bullet casings found at the crime scene, evoking a phrase often used to describe insurers’ tactics to get the Avoid paying claims.
As Mangione was charged in court, supporters gathered outside holding placards that read “Health before wealth” and “Luigi freed us.”
James Dennehy of the FBI’s New York field office said Magione’s alleged actions amounted to a “carefully premeditated and targeted execution.”
“This alleged conspiracy demonstrates a cavalier attitude towards humanity – viewing murder as a convenient means of relieving personal grievances,” Dennehy said.
