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Luigi Mangione, the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thomspon, has pleaded not guilty to state terror and murder charges in a Manhattan courtroom.
Mangione entered his plea during his Monday morning arraignment. He faces 11 counts in New York, including murder, murder as an act of terrorism and forgery. The 26-year-old faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Manhattan courtroom as officials escorted Mangione inside. Many held signs decrying the insurance industry, with phrases such as “Health over wealth,” and “UHC kills, death by denials.” Others supported Mangione with signs that read, “Free Luigi.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg previously called Thompson’s murder “frightening” and “well-planned.”
“This was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we’ve seen that reaction,” Bragg said last week. “This was not an ordinary killing. Not to suggest that any killing is ordinary, but this was extraordinary.”
The suspected killer was also charged at the federal level with murder through use of a firearm, a gun offense and two counts of stalking. While New York does not have capital punishment, federal prosecutors could pursue the death penalty.
In addition, he faces charges in Pennsylvania related to officials’ alleged discovery of a 3D-printed gun and fake ID in his possession when he was arrested.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s attorney, condemned the federal case last week.
“The federal government’s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns,” Agnifilo said in a statement. “We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought.”
Magione is being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. There, several other high-profile people are incarcerated, including former head of FTX Sam Bankman-Fried. Sean “Diddy” Combs, the rapper accused of sex trafficking and other crimes, is also being held there.
More to come…
