Luigi Mangione fights extradition to face murder charge over CEO killing happymamay

The man accused of fatally shooting health insurance CEO Brian Thompson in New York grappled with police and shouted at reporters as he was taken into court Tuesday, as more details emerged about a possible motive for the killing.

Luigi Mangione appeared at an extradition hearing in Pennsylvania. His lawyer said the 26-year-old will appeal his transfer to New York to face murder charges.

“He pleads not guilty to those crimes,” the lawyer said. “I didn’t see any evidence that he was the shooter.”

Different US states have different laws and judicial systems, so there is a process involved in transporting fugitives, which can take days or weeks.

Mangione, who was wearing an orange jumpsuit, tried to address reporters as he arrived for the hearing. He was heard shouting “totally unfair” and “an insult to the intelligence of the American people” before officers took him to court.

Mangione was arrested on Monday after he was spotted at a McDonald’s branch in Pennsylvania, following a days-long manhunt that spanned several states. He was allegedly found in possession of a gun identical to the murder weapon, a silencer and a fake ID card.

Three handwritten pages were also allegedly in his possession. The NYPD said it considered this a claim of responsibility for the fatal shooting of Mr. Thompson, as it appeared to register frustration with the American health care system.

The 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed by a masked man outside a Manhattan hotel in what authorities described as a targeted attack.

Mangione was denied bail for a second time on Tuesday, after prosecutors said it was too dangerous to release him.

The judge then gave prosecutors 30 days to seek an injunction from New York Governor Kathy Hochul to secure his extradition to the state.

Hochul later said she would submit one. “I am coordinating with the District Attorney’s Office and will sign a request for a governor’s warrant to ensure this individual is prosecuted and held accountable,” she said.

Defense attorneys also have a two-week period to file motions against Mr. Mangione’s transfer to New York. Pennsylvania’s attorney general described the challenge as creating “more hoops…to jump through.”

Mr. Mangione looked around at the rows of reporters in court and smiled at times. At one point, he interrupted his lawyer, who quickly silenced him.

After the hearing Tuesday afternoon, attorney Thomas Dickey spoke to reporters outside court. “There cannot be a rush to judgment in this or any other case,” he said. “He’s presumed innocent. Let’s not forget that.”

Mr. Mangione has been charged with several crimes in Pennsylvania, including providing false identification to police and possession of an unlicensed firearm. He is being held in Pennsylvania State Prison and will plead not guilty.

In New York, he faces separate charges, including first-degree murder, for Thompson’s December 4 killing.

Mr. Thompson was appointed CEO of the company, the largest private insurance company in the United States, in April 2021.

He had received threats before his death regarding medical coverage, according to his widow, Paulette Thompson, but prosecutors did not suggest a motive for killing him.

However, on Tuesday, as police sifted through evidence and worked to piece together Mr. Mangione’s movements after the shooting, more details emerged about his alleged complaints with the health insurance industry.

New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kinney told Good Morning America that he read a three-page handwritten note that was allegedly found in the suspect’s possession when he was arrested.

“He has shown some signs that he is frustrated with the health care system in the United States,” he said. “He has been writing frequently about his disdain for corporate America and especially the health care industry.”

The memo, which has been seen by several US media outlets, reportedly refers to the “parasites” that “came.” He also allegedly wrote that he acted alone.

Former friends told the BBC that Mangione suffered a back injury. They said he left the Hawaiian surfing community during the summer of 2023 to undergo spinal surgery.

RJ Martin, the suspect’s former roommate who knew him in Hawaii, said the injury “prevented him, at times, from doing a lot of normal things.”

Various details about Mr. Mangione’s background have emerged since his arrest. He was born in Maryland into a wealthy, well-known family, and police say he has ties to San Francisco, California. His last known address was Honolulu, Hawaii.

He attended the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League college, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in software engineering.

Local media reported that Mangione’s mother reported him missing last month, telling authorities in San Francisco that she had not heard from her son since July.

“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mr. Mangione’s family said in a statement posted by his cousin on social media. “We offer our prayers to Brian Thompson’s family and ask people to pray for everyone involved.”

With additional reporting from Nada Tawfiq