Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder to Fight Extradition
Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, will fight extradition to New York, Al Jazeera reports, citing his lawyer.
Mangione appeared in a Pennsylvania court a day after his arrest in Altoona following a tip from a McDonald’s employee.
While emerging from a police car, Mangione offered a partially incoherent statement to reporters, referencing an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” In court, his lawyer, Thomas Dickey, announced Mangione’s intention to contest extradition, requesting a hearing on the matter. He has 14 days to file a formal challenge; until then, Mangione will be held without bail in Pennsylvania.
The brief court appearance followed the high-profile murder of Thompson, who was shot outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel last week. The brazen attack and subsequent manhunt captivated the nation, sparking widespread discussion about anger towards the healthcare industry and its high costs.
Bullet casings found at the scene bore the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” terms often used by critics of health insurance practices. Mangione fled the scene on an electric bike, eventually boarding a bus out of the city.
Since the shooting, numerous individuals have shared online accounts of insurance claim denials, fueling concerns about potential copycat attacks, according to a law enforcement memo obtained by US media.
The memo, based on Mangione’s writings recovered during his arrest, suggests a motive rooted in his perceived exploitation by health insurance companies and broader disdain for corporate greed. Authorities recovered a 3D-printed gun, a suppressor, and several fake IDs from Mangione.
His writings reportedly detailed the high cost of US healthcare and the disparity between corporate profits and life expectancy. The memo also suggests Mangione may have been inspired by the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, whom he described as a “political revolutionary.”
Mangione’s profile presents a stark contrast to the alleged crime. He hails from an influential Baltimore family, was valedictorian of an elite prep school, and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania. Friends have suggested a change in his demeanor following recent spinal surgery.
