UnitedHealthcare CEO killing: Suspect Luigi Mangione faces new federal homicide costs together with his return to New York

Luigi Mangione, the suspect within the homicide of UnitedHealth Group govt Brian Thompson, arrives at a helicopter pad after being extradited from Pennsylvania, in New York.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

The suspect within the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO was whisked again to New York by helicopter on Thursday (December 19, 2024) to face new federal costs of homicide and stalking, escalating the case after his earlier indictment on state costs.

Luigi Mangione agreed to return to New York after a morning court docket look in Pennsylvania the place he was arrested final week after 5 days on the run. He was anticipated in a Manhattan federal court docket within the afternoon.

After his Pennsylvania court docket look, he was instantly turned over to not less than a dozen New York Police Division officers who have been within the courtroom and rapidly led him to a airplane sure for Lengthy Island. He then was taken away by helicopter to Manhattan.

The federal grievance unsealed Thursday costs him with two counts of stalking and one depend every of homicide by use of a firearm and a firearms offense. A courtroom had been put aside in a Manhattan federal courthouse for Mangione’s listening to.

Blair County District Lawyer Pete Weeks mentioned on Thursday that he wished to show Mangione over to New York authorities as quickly as attainable.

“He’s now of their custody. He’ll go forth with New York to await trial or prosecution for his murder and associated costs in New York,” Weeks mentioned.

The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate is accused of ambushing and capturing Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 outdoors a Manhattan resort the place the top of the US’ largest medical insurance coverage firm was strolling to an investor convention.

Authorities have mentioned Mangione was carrying the gun used to kill Thompson, a passport, pretend IDs and about $10,000 when he was arrested whereas consuming breakfast on Dec. 9 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Mangione, who initially fought makes an attempt to extradite him, made two temporary court docket appearances on Thursday, first waiving a preliminary listening to on forgery and firearms costs earlier than agreeing to be despatched again to New York.

The state costs there towards him embrace homicide as an act of terrorism. He might face life in jail with out parole if he’s convicted.

Investigators imagine Mangione was motivated by anger towards the U.S. healthcare system and company greed. However he was by no means a UnitedHealthcare consumer, in line with the insurer.

In line with the federal grievance unsealed on Thursday, a pocket book Mangione was carrying when he was arrested included a number of handwritten pages expressing hostility towards the medical health insurance business and rich executives particularly.

An August entry mentioned that “the goal is insurance coverage” as a result of “it checks each field,” in line with the submitting. An entry in October “describes an intent to ‘wack’ the CEO of one of many insurance coverage corporations at its investor convention,” the doc mentioned.

The killing ignited an outpouring of tales about resentment towards U.S. medical health insurance corporations whereas additionally shaking company America after some social media customers referred to as the capturing payback.

Video confirmed a masked gunman capturing Thompson, 50, from behind after which firing a number of extra pictures. The suspect eluded police regardless of authorities extensively circulating images of his unmasked face till Mangione was captured in Altoona, about 277 miles (446 kilometers) west of New York.

Mangione, a pc science graduate from a distinguished Maryland household, was carrying a handwritten letter that referred to as medical health insurance corporations “parasitic” and complained about company greed, in line with a legislation enforcement bulletin obtained by The Related Press final week.

Certainly one of his legal professionals has cautioned the general public towards prejudging the case.

Mangione repeatedly posted on social media about how spinal surgical procedure final yr had eased his persistent again ache, encouraging folks with related situations to talk up for themselves if advised they only needed to stay with it.

In a Reddit publish in late April, he suggested somebody with a again drawback to hunt further opinions from surgeons and, if crucial, say the ache made it not possible to work.

“We stay in a capitalist society,” Mangione wrote. “I’ve discovered that the medical business responds to those key phrases way more urgently than you describing insufferable ache and the way it’s impacting your high quality of life.”

He apparently reduce himself off from his household and shut associates in current months. His household reported him lacking in San Francisco in November. His family members have mentioned in an announcement that they have been “shocked and devastated” by his arrest.

Thompson, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, was educated as an accountant. A married father of two high-schoolers, he had labored on the big UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and have become CEO of its insurance coverage arm in 2021.