Lara Murray-Sterzel, Editor-in-Chief
On Friday, Feb. 21, at the Manhattan Criminal Court in lower Manhattan, 26-year-old alleged killer Luigi Mangione appeared a second time in court, where prosecutors relayed further evidence into the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The hearing only lasted thirty minutes. Before then, many of Mangione’s supporters were seen outside the courthouse holding up signs, chanting his name, and wearing green.
Six months before the murder, Mangione disappeared, and his family reported him missing. Last December, outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan, Thompson was gunned down by a masked man. A five-day manhunt occurred until footage was recovered of the suspected shooter, Mangione, dressed the same but without his mask on. Mangione was arrested on a weapons charge at a McDonald’s and arraigned in Pennsylvania.
Since the time of his arrest, there’s been a divide in people’s beliefs through a national intrigue to Mangione’s actions. One general population praises Mangione for taking action against a very flawed industry. But among this population are those who don’t support Mangione’s actions but are calling for the Healthcare industry to change and sharing their experiences with them. The general population does not support Mangione’s actions and wants him to face the necessary charges for committing this crime. Mangione was charged with first-degree murder as an act of terrorism, second-degree murder, and in federal court, murder by firearm and stalking. He’s pleaded not guilty to all charges.
It wasn’t long before a discovery was made in Mangione’s medical records. The records hold an X-ray image of Mangione’s back, which experts say shows that Mangione had a Spinal Fusion Procedure likely to treat a condition called Spondylolisthesis. People close to Mangione remembered that he suffers from chronic back issues. The public has begun to speculate that this could’ve been a motive. But this has also been brought into question, as the shooter in the camera footage was not limping or displaying any kind of injury.
Mangione’s attorneys asked the judge for more time to prepare for this case, as they were defending him in three criminal cases at once. However, the attorneys’ request was denied, and the state murder case will continue, saying he doesn’t know enough about the other cases to postpone.
After the hearing, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s lawyer, addressed the press outside the courthouse with the rest of his legal team. Friedman Agnifilo says Mangione remains in federal custody, where he’s being prosecuted in three jurisdictions by the federal government, New York State, and Pennsylvania. The Department of Justice refuses to allow him to be held in state custody even though they agreed the state court is going to go first. She reveals that the department’s decision affects the team’s ability to meet with him before and after court. “He’s being treated differently because he’s being held in federal custody than any other person who would be facing serious murder one charges in New York State court. And I made a record in court today that ‘I don’t understand what this show of danger is,’’’ Friedman Agnifilo addressed to the press. “When I go visit Luigi at M.D.C in Brooklyn, I sit with him. He’s unshackled, he walks around freely in the visiting area. We sit in a room together without law enforcement hovering over us.”
Friedman Agnifilo further spoke about plans to investigate if Mangione’s constitutional rights were violated in the Pennsylvania case and also of her shock watching the HBO documentary Who Is Luigi Mangione? Seeing key figures such as New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny discussing police paperwork and forensics that they haven’t gotten yet. Friedman Agnifilo expressed concern that this evidence could be suppressed before the trial because of it.
Mangione’s legal team thanked his supporters on his behalf for being at the hearing. Since his incarceration, Mangione’s received a volume of mail from fans and supporters. His supporters even raised half a $1 million dollars in an online fundraiser for the legal defense fund. Friedman Agnifilo said that if cameras are denied in the courtroom, they will continue to provide information on the Luigi Mangione Legal Defense Information website.
As of now, the Justice Department is investigating UnitedHealthcare’s billing practices for Medicare. In light of this, UnitedHealthcare is offering buyouts and facing potential layoffs. Mangione will be in federal court this month and will return to state court in June.
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