UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione was indicted on Tuesday, December 17, and charged with first-degree murder for the murder of Brian Thompson.
According to the New York district attorney Alvin Bragg’s statement on Tuesday, Mangione is facing multiple charges. He added that Mangione’s intent was to “sow terror” and tagged the shooting a “frightening, well-planned and targeted murder.”
The district attorney, at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, joined New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch in criticizing the public for praising Mangione following the shooting.
“In the nearly two weeks since Mr Thompson’s killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder,” Ms Tisch said. “We don’t celebrate murders, and we don’t lionize the killing of anyone.”
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What Are Luigi Mangione’s Charges?
Luigi Mangione is indeed indicted, and his charges include first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder, one of which describes the killing as an act of “terrorism.” Mangione appeared before a court on December 19 to decide if he will be extradited to New York on the charges.
“We have indications the defendant may waive that hearing,” Bragg initially said. The extradition proceeding will be held the same day as Mangione’s preliminary hearing on gun-related charges in Pennsylvania.
In addition to murder, Mangione is also facing weapons and forgery charges. If convicted on the most serious charges he’s facing, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Speaking about the terrorism charges, Bragg said that “in its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror.”
Luigi Mangione Was Arrested Days After the Shooting
Five days after the United Healthcare CEO was shot and killed, Luigi Mangione was apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He had on him a fake ID and a so-called “ghost gun,” according to the police.
His lawyer, Thomas Dickey, has said no evidence links Mangione’s gun with the crime. Meanwhile, New York prosecutors began to share evidence in their case against Luigi Mangione with a grand jury last week. If extradited, the 26-year-old will likely be held at Rikers Island or another New York prison.
Is Luigi Mangione Guilty?
If Luigi Mangione getting indicted is not enough to convince people is guilty, consider the evidence. According to Commissioner Tisch, there was a positive match of his fingerprints with those discovered at the crime scene.
District Attorney Bragg also said the suspect entered New York City on November 24. Then he holed up in a Manhattan hostel he got with a fake ID before attacking Thompson 10 days later.
In addition to the ghost gun and fake ID, a passport and a handwritten manifesto were also found on Mangione when he was arrested, the police said. The manifesto revealed his “motivation and mindset” and softened the public’s sentiments towards him.
Luigi Mangione’s Mother Thinks He May Be Guilty
During Tuesday’s news conference on the New York charges, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny described a conversation with Mangione’s mother. She filed a missing person report for him in San Francisco in November.
They found the report after the manhunt for the shooting suspect was underway and contacted Luigi Mangione’s mother. According to Kenny, Mangione’s mother did not identify her son as the suspect. However, she said, “It might be something that I could see him doing.”
Luigi Mangione was formally charged in Pennsylvania for several crimes. Some include forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of crime, and providing false identification to police.
He awaits his fate under maximum security at Huntingdon State Correctional Institution in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. He has been denied bail.
Luigi Mangione’s Shocking Confession
The manifesto Luigi Mangione was caught with when he was arrested reportedly sees him expressing frustration with the healthcare system, and the police consider it a confession.
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In the handwritten document, the indicted suspect criticizes corporate America, mentioning UnitedHealthcare, a health insurance company known for denying claims, specifically. The manifesto suggests that his motivation for the killing was because he saw it as a symbolic act, a strike against what he calls the corruption in the healthcare industry.
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