Federal murder charge against Mangione could mean death penalty in CEO killing

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel earlier this month, was charged on Thursday with federal crimes of murder, stalking and weapon offenses, in addition to his previous indictment on state charges.

During a brief afternoon hearing at a Lower Manhattan court, Judge Katharine Parker read the four federal counts against the 26-year-old Mangione, which were unsealed in newly filed court documents earlier Thursday. He was extradited from Pennsylvania to New York for the hearing.

Judge Parker ruled that Mangione will remain detained until his next hearing in mid-January and that he will not be granted bail, the Associated Press reported.

In the newly unsealed complaint, federal prosecutors say Mangione took a bus to New York City and waited outside a hotel where Thompson was staying for an investor conference. According to prosecutors, Mangione then shot the health insurance executive with an untraceable gun and fled to Pennsylvania.

Federal charges

If found guilty in federal court, Mangione could face the death penalty.

The federal charges against him include: one count of using a firearm to commit murder, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison; one count of interstate stalking resulting in death; and one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death (each carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison); and one count of discharging a firearm equipped with a silencer to commit a violent crime (which carries a sentence of 30 years to life in prison.)

State charges

Mangione also faces 11 counts in state court in New York. On Tuesday, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Mangione for murder as an act of terrorism, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. He also faces charges in Pennsylvania, where he had been arrested inside a McDonald's in Altoona, Pa., five days after the shooting.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg described Thompson's death as "a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation."

The words "deny," "delay," and "depose" — language often used to critique the tactics health care insurance companies — were found written on some of the shell casings discovered at the crime scene. New York police had focused on the casings as evidence of a possible motive.

Mangione waived his right to contest extradition to New York this morning and arrived aboard a NYPD helicopter ahead of a 2 p.m. court appearance. Mangione had initially fought extradition.

After the hearing, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Edward Kim, said in a statement that Mangione allegedly killed Thompson "in a grossly misguided attempt to broadcast Mangione's views across the country."

Karen Friedman Agnifilo, the high-profile attorney representing Mangione, reserved comment after Thursday's hearing but said in court that she was caught off guard by the federal charges, according to member station WNYC reporter Samantha Max.

The attorney said Wednesday night: "The federal government's reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns."

She also said that Mangione's legal team is "ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought."

Notebook found on Mangione has alleged writings of plans to target health insurance CEO

The 10-page federal charging document unsealed Thursday also reveals new details about the events leading up to Thompson's death. According to the complaint filed by FBI special agent Gary Cobb, Mangione was found in possession of a notebook that "contained several handwritten pages that express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular."

In one notebook entry dated Aug. 15, 2024, the complaint says, writings described how "the details are finally coming together" and "I'm glad – in a way – that I've procrastinated, bc [because] it allowed me to learn more about [acronym for Company-1]." The notebook entry also stated that "the target is insurance" because "it checks every box."

In another entry corresponding to Oct. 22 — less than two months before the shooting happened on the morning of UnitedHealthcare's investor conference that Thompson was reportedly scheduled to attend — the notebook read: "1.5 months. This investor conference is a true windfall . . . and – most importantly – the message becomes self-evident." The entry goes on to describe an intent to "wack" the CEO of one of the insurance companies at its investor conference.

This alleged targeted attack has fueled anger toward the health insurance industry, with some people even praising the shooter's actions on social media. A small crowd of protesters was seen outside the Manhattan courthouse on Thursday, holding signs in support of Mangione.