The man charged with murder in the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO made it clear he wasn’t going to make things easy for authorities, as he screamed incomprehensibly and writhed in the grip of sheriff’s deputies as he was led into court and then objected to being transported. To New York to stand trial.
Tuesday’s displays of resistance were not expected to lead to a significant delay in the legal proceedings of Luigi Nicolas Mangione, who was accused of killing Brian Thompson, head of the largest medical insurance company in the United States, in Manhattan last week. Little new information has been revealed about a possible motive, although writings found in Mangione’s possession suggested a vague hatred of corporate greed.
In his first public words since his arrest at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania after a five-day search, the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family emerged from a patrol car screaming, “Insult to the intelligence service.” To the American people” as deputies pushed him into the courtroom.
A law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said that at the time of his arrest, Mangione was carrying a handwritten document expressing anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and disdain for corporate greed and power.
He wrote that the United States has the most expensive health care system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our average life expectancy” is not, according to the publication.
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Mangione remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing a false ID to police.
Manhattan prosecutors began taking steps to bring Mangione to New York, but at a brief hearing Tuesday, defense attorney Thomas Dickey said his client would not waive extradition and instead wanted a hearing on the case. Mangione was denied bail after prosecutors said he was too dangerous to be released.
He mostly stared straight ahead at the hearing, occasionally looking down at the papers, rocking in his chair or looking back at the gallery.
“You can’t rush to judgment in this or any other case,” Dickey said afterward. “He is presumed innocent. Let’s not forget that.”
Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City, after a McDonald’s customer recognized him and informed an employee, authorities said.
NYPD officials said Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used to kill Thompson and the same fake ID that the suspected shooter used to check into a New York motel, along with a passport and other fake IDs.
A three-page handwritten document found with Mangione includes a line in which he claimed he acted alone, said a law enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
“To the feds, I’ll keep this short, because I respect what you do for our country. In the interest of saving a long investigation, I’m clearly stating that I was not working with just anyone.
Thompson, 50, was killed on December 4 as he walked alone to a Manhattan hotel to attend an investor conference. Through surveillance video, New York investigators determined that the shooter quickly fled the city, likely by bus.
Mangione was born into a life of country clubs and concessions. His grandfather was a self-made real estate developer and philanthropist.
“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland Del. Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to Brian Thompson’s family and ask people to pray for everyone involved.”
From January to June 2022, Luigi Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space on the tourist edge of Waikiki in Honolulu. He was widely considered a “great man,” even though he long suffered from severe back pain that affected many aspects of his life, said Josiah Ryan, spokesman for owner and founder RJ Martin.
Sisak reported from New York. Associated Press writers Cedar Attanasio and Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this report; Michael Rubinkam and Maryclare Dell at Penn State; Leah Skinny in Baltimore; Jennifer Cinco Kelleher in Honolulu; and John Sewer in Toledo, Ohio.
& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press
