The suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson has pleaded not responsible to homicide and terrorism prices in New York state.
Luigi Mangione, 26, appeared in court docket Monday to be charged with 11 counts of state crimes, together with homicide and a terrorism offense.
He additionally faces federal stalking and homicide prices that might carry a dying sentence.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Mangione shot Mr. Thompson in midtown Manhattan earlier than working away. Authorities later arrested him at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
Mr Mangione appeared in court docket on Monday sporting a brown sweater, a white collared shirt and khaki trousers.
As effectively as a protracted stream of journalists ready for the suspect to look, there have been members of the general public in court docket – virtually all younger ladies – a few of whom informed CBS, the BBC’s US accomplice, that they had been there to indicate their help. .
Mr. Mangione faces 11 counts of state crimes in New York, together with first-degree homicide and homicide as a terrorism crime.
If convicted on all counts, he would face a compulsory sentence of life in jail with out the potential of parole.
Federal prosecutors additionally individually charged Mr. Mangione with utilizing a firearm to commit homicide and interstate stalking leading to dying. Both prices may make him eligible for the dying penalty.
He has but to enter an announcement on these prices.
Prosecutors mentioned the federal and state instances will proceed in parallel to one another.
In court docket final week, Mangione’s legal professional, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, mentioned the 2 units of prices seem to battle, with the state prices accusing him of making an attempt to “intimidate or coerce a civilian inhabitants” whereas the federal prices they give attention to crimes towards a person.
Ms Agnifilo mentioned the overlapping instances had been “complicated” and “extremely uncommon”.
“I’ve by no means seen something like what is going on on right here” in 30 years of working towards legislation, he mentioned.
In court docket Monday, she additionally informed the choose that she believes statements from authorities officers — together with New York Mayor Eric Adams — make her “very involved about my consumer’s proper to due course of.”
“This is a younger man,” he mentioned. “Here he’s being handled like a human ping-pong ball between warring jurisdictions.”
The choose, Gregory Carro, mentioned he can not management what occurs outdoors the courthouse, however promised that Mangione will obtain a good trial.
The suspect is presently in federal custody on the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn after being returned to New York final week beneath most safety situations.
Authorities imagine Mangione carried out a focused killing of Thompson, pointing to proof that he was offended on the U.S. healthcare business.
The federal grievance notes {that a} pocket book present in Mr. Mangione’s possession expressed “hostility towards the medical insurance business and significantly rich executives.”
Some on social media praised Mangione’s alleged crimes, typically sharing their anger on the U.S. non-public healthcare system.
Speaking on Sunday on CBS, the BBC’s American accomplice, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas mentioned the rhetoric on-line was “terribly alarming”.
“It speaks to what’s actually simmering right here on this nation,” he mentioned. “And sadly we see that manifested within the violence, within the home violent extremism that exists.”
