(Bloomberg) -- Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to New York state murder charges over the shooting of a top UnitedHealth Group Inc. executive, as his lawyer expressed concern about getting a fair trial in the high-profile case.
Mangione appeared handcuffed and shackled in a Manhattan court on Monday to be arraigned on multiple counts, including first- and second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and possessing a forged driver’s license.
“Not guilty,” the 26-year-old Maryland native, wearing a maroon sweater over a white shirt, said when he was asked to enter his plea.
Mangione allegedly waited outside a midtown Manhattan hotel before shooting Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealth’s insurance unit, outside an investor meeting on Dec. 4 with a 3D-printed ghost gun, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Mangione then fled, touching off a five-day manhunt that ended with his arrest at a McDonald’s in western Pennsylvania.
Mangione also faces parallel federal charges. He hasn’t yet been arraigned in the federal case, which is expected to proceed after the state case goes to trial.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, his lawyer, expressed dissatisfaction with the way the parallel state and federal cases are playing out, saying Mangione is “being treated like a human ping pong ball.” He agreed to be extradited from Pennsylvania last week to face the state case, only to be diverted to a federal court hearing during transit.
“We’re going to fight these charges whether it’s in state or federal to the fullest extent,” she said, adding that she is “very concerned about his right to fair trial” due to statements being made by state officials.
“This has to stop,” she said.
Justice Gregory Carro said that he couldn’t control what happens outside of the courtroom, but ensured that Mangione would receive a fair trial and that the jury would be selected carefully. He set another hearing for Feb. 21.
Friedman Agnifilo said that the federal case is “death eligible,” though US prosecutors haven’t said yet if they are seeking the death penalty. The Justice Department said the state case is expected to go to trial first.
Protesters Chant
Despite the brazen nature of the alleged murder, Mangione has won the support of some Americans who are angered by the health insurance industry, particularly the frequent denial of coverage for costly and necessary procedures.
A group of more than a dozen protesters stood outside court to support Mangione, many of them holding signs and chanting “Free Luigi!” as his lawyers made their way out. Among the signs: “Murder for profit I$ terrorism,” “health over wealth” and “defend deny depose.”
Several protesters chanted, “Hey hey! Ho ho! These CEOs have got to go!”
New York City prosecutors elevated the state case to first-degree murder, a charge reserved for “the most abhorrent conduct,” like killing a police officer or terrorism, Bragg said. Mangione also faces two counts of second-degree murder, multiple weapon charges, and one count of possessing a forged driver’s license.
Police claim that they have accumulated overwhelming evidence against Mangione, including fingerprints found near the scene. The shooting was also captured on a security camera, as were the killer’s later movements when he fled the scene, police have said.
Mangione’s lawyer took aim at the way her client’s arrival in Manhattan Thursday was handled by the New York Police Department. Images of the suspected shooter wearing an orange jumpsuit and accompanied by armed police officers and Mayor Eric Adams spread widely across news and social media.
Friedman Agnifilo, a former prosecutor, complained about police officers holding “big assault rifles” during Mangione’s arrival, which she called “perfectly choreographed.”
“The mayor should know more than anyone about the presumption of innocence,” she said.
Shell Casings
Shell casings and a bullet found at the scene had the words “Deny,” “Depose,” and “Delay,” prosecutors said. When police arrested him in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Mangione was carrying a manifesto decrying the health-care industry and a notebook discussing the targeted killing of a CEO, authorities said.
The federal complaint unsealed Dec. 19 contained chilling details from a notebook prosecutors said was taken from Mangione when he was arrested. In one entry, he described an intent to “wack” the CEO of the UnitedHealth insurance unit.
The document pieced together Mangione’s movements around the shooting, drawing largely on security camera footage. Mangione arrived in Manhattan on a bus from Atlanta on Nov. 24 and checked into a hostel on the Upper West Side with a fake New Jersey driver’s license with the name Mark Rosario.
The notebook allegedly described how “the details are finally coming together” and “I’m glad in a way that I’ve procrastinated” because it allowed him to learn more about UnitedHealth.
“This investor conference is a true windfall...and...most importantly — the message becomes self evident,” Mangione said in one entry.
(Adds supporters chanting outside court after the hearing.)
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