Latest news Murder of insurance boss: accused transferred to New York
The 26-year-old accused of the fatal shooting of US insurance boss Brian Thompson was transferred to New York on Thursday. There he also had to face charges from the federal judiciary.
20.12.2024, 04:02
SDA
After a court hearing in Hollidaysburg in the state of Pennsylvania, Luigi Mangione was taken to the airport in a black SUV, where the 26-year-old, dressed in an orange prisoner's outfit, boarded a plane to New York. From the airport there, he was taken by helicopter to Manhattan, as TV stations reported.
Mangione had already been charged with murder and a "terrorist act" at New York state level on Tuesday. The prosecution is convinced that he shot and killed the head of the health insurance company UnitedHealthcare, Thompson, in Manhattan on December 4. Five days later, he was arrested in Pennsylvania.
He has now also been brought before a federal court in New York. Mangione, who had initially resisted his transfer from Pennsylvania to New York, was wearing shackles when he appeared before federal judge Katherine Parker in Manhattan. According to court documents, Parker read him the charges against him in the indictment, including murder, stalking and violations of gun laws. If convicted, the 26-year-old could face the death penalty or life imprisonment, according to the US Department of Justice.
Legal team does not apply for release
Mangione's lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said, according to CNN, that she wanted to get clarity on how a simultaneous federal and state prosecution would work. She described the situation as "highly unusual". CNN further reported that Mangione's legal team will not initially file a motion for release on bail.
Supporters of Mangione had gathered outside the courthouse in Manhattan. They held up signs reading "Luigi freed us" and "Health before wealth".
Hatred of US healthcare
Thompson's murder had caused uproar in the USA, but also led to a series of hateful comments about US health insurers on the internet. The companies were accused of enriching themselves at the expense of patients. Investigators found evidence that Mangione may have acted out of hatred for the US healthcare system.
James Dennehy from the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) emphasized that Mangione's alleged actions amounted to a "carefully planned and targeted execution". Mangione considered "murder to be a suitable means of satisfying personal grievances."
According to the federal indictment released on Thursday, a notebook found on Mangione contained an entry from August stating, "The target is the insurance company" because "it meets all the criteria."
