Ivy League Grad Faces Federal Murder Charges in Slaying of UnitedHealthcare Executive
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Thursday to face new charges, including murder and stalking, that could carry the death penalty, Al Jazeera reports.
The 26-year-old, who had already been facing state charges, was transferred from Pennsylvania after waiving extradition.
Mangione, shackled at the ankles and dressed in a blue sweater and beige slacks, entered a brief plea during a 15-minute hearing before United States Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker. The unsealed criminal complaint details federal charges of murder using a firearm, two counts of stalking, and possession of an unregistered firearm silencer.
The federal charges significantly escalate the potential consequences for Mangione, opening the possibility of a death sentence should prosecutors choose to pursue it. His lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, described the simultaneous state and federal prosecutions as “highly unusual.”
The complaint alleges Mangione traveled from Georgia to New York with the specific intent to stalk and kill Brian Thompson. Investigators found a notebook in Mangione’s possession after his arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s. The notebook contained handwritten entries expressing hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives. One August entry stated that “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box,” while an October entry expressed an intent to “wack” the CEO of an insurance company.
Further adding to the chilling details, police reported finding shell casings at the murder scene with the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” scrawled on them – a phrase often used to describe insurance company tactics to avoid paying claims.
Outside the courthouse, supporters gathered holding signs reading “Health over wealth” and “Luigi freed us,” suggesting a possible connection between Mangione’s actions and broader grievances against the healthcare system.
FBI New York Field Office’s James Dennehy described Mangione’s alleged actions as a “carefully premeditated and targeted execution,” saying that the plot demonstrated “a cavalier attitude towards humanity — deeming murder an appropriate recourse to satiate personal grievances.”
