Murderer of UnitedHealthcare executive will face the charge of murder as an act of terrorism: NY prosecutor
Ap and The Independent
La Jornada Newspaper
Wednesday, December 18, 2024, p. 23
New York. The man accused of murdering the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was charged with murder as an act of terrorism, prosecutors said yesterday as they worked to transfer him to a New York court from a jail in Pennsylvania.
Luigi Mangione was already charged with murder in the Dec. 4 death of Brian Thompson, but the terrorism charge is new.
Under New York law, such a charge can be filed when a crime is alleged is intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policies of a government unit through intimidation or coercion, and affect the conduct of a government unit through assassination or kidnapping.
Mangione’s lawyer in New York has not commented.
Thompson, 50, was shot and killed while walking to a hotel in Manhattan, where Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare – the second-largest health insurer in the United States – was holding an investor conference.
It was a terrifying, well-planned and directed murder intended to generate shock, attention and intimidation.said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg at a press conference. It occurred in one of the busiest parts of our city, threatening the safety of local residents and tourists alike..
After days of police searching and media coverage, Mangione was spotted at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and arrested.
New York police have said Mangione had with him the gun used to kill Thompson, a passport and several fake IDs, including one he presented to check into a New York hostel.
The 26-year-old was charged in Pennsylvania with weapons offenses and forgery, and jailed there without bail. His attorney in Pennsylvania has questioned the evidence for the forgery charge and the legal basis for the weapons charge. The lawyer has also said Mangione would fight extradition to New York.
Mangione has two hearings in Pennsylvania scheduled for tomorrow, one of them regarding his extradition, Bragg detailed.
Mangione hired renowned attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo to defend him. She previously worked at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where she served as a senior assistant prosecutor for seven years.
Mangione’s supporters continue to donate thousands of dollars to his relief fund. defense.
The anonymous fund has raised more than $140,000.