CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione makes 1st court appearance in NYC on federal charges
Luigi Mangione is charged with first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Luigi Mangione traveled from Georgia to allegedly stalk and kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and said he targeted the health care industry because "it checked every box" -- one of a number of entries in a notebook in which the suspect discussed the plot in the weeks before the brazen crime, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Mangione was hit with four federal charges Thursday, including stalking, a firearms offense involving a silencer and murder through use of a firearm, a charge that makes him eligible for the death penalty.
A special edition of "20/20" airing Dec. 19 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC looks at the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the manhunt that led to the arrest of Luigi Mangione, who went from the Ivy League to alleged killer.
The federal complaint contains previously unreleased excerpts from the notebook that police said they seized from Mangione. Authorities said the writings "express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular."
According to the complaint, an entry marked Aug. 15, 2024, said "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 entry also said that "the target is insurance" because "it checks every box," the complaint said. In an entry marked Oct. 22, 2024, the writings said, "1.5 months. This investor conference is a true windfall ... and -- most importantly -- the message becomes self evident."
Later on in the entry, the pages describe an intent to "wack" the CEO of one of the insurance companies at its investor conference, the complaint said.
Mangione made his initial appearance in Manhattan federal court Thursday afternoon, hours after the unsealing of the criminal complaint. Mangione stepped into a packed federal courtroom for an appearance before Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker.
He answered "yes" to several questions from Judge Parker, but mainly kept his head down reading along as she summarized the charges in the complaint. He did not enter a plea.
Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said Mangione would not initially contest pretrial detention. He was taken into custody.
"We're going to respectfully decline to make any comment at this time, but Mr. Mangione appreciates everyone's support. Thank you so much," Agnifilio said.
The next court date is January 18, 2025 unless an indictment is secured beforehand.
The prosecutor noted the Manhattan DA's office has a parallel case.
"That case is proceeding and our office is in consultation with them," Gentile said.
Agnifilo said Mangione was prepared to appear in state court and complained the federal charges were sprung on her client.
"This is a highly unusual situation we find ourselves in," Agnifilo said. "I have never seen anything like that."
She said the theories of the two cases appear to be in conflict, noting the state case accused Mangione of terrorizing a group of people while the federal case accused him of stalking an individual.
Mangione agreed to return to New York after a morning court appearance in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested last week after five days on the run.
"This is in his best interest, and we're moving forward," Mangione's Pennsylvania defense attorney Thomas Dickey said.
After his Pennsylvania court hearing, Mangione was immediately turned over to at least a dozen New York Police Department officers who were in the courtroom and led him to a plane bound for Long Island. He then was flown to a Manhattan heliport, where he was walked slowly up a pier by officers with assault rifles.
The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate is accused of ambushing and shooting Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 outside a Manhattan hotel where the head of the United States' largest medical insurance company was walking to an investor conference.
Authorities have said Mangione was carrying the gun used to kill Thompson, a passport, fake IDs and about $10,000 when he was arrested while eating breakfast on Dec. 9 at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
When Mangione was apprehended, he had a 9 mm handgun with a 3D-printed receiver, a homemade silencer, two ammunition magazines and live cartridges, prosecutors said.
Mangione, who initially fought attempts to extradite him, made two brief court appearances Thursday, first waiving a preliminary hearing on forgery and firearms charges before agreeing to be sent back to New York.
His next hearing in Pennsylvania is scheduled for Feb. 24 - which may ultimately get a continuance or a remote Zoom appearance, given the impracticality of returning for an in-person hearing once he's in New York custody.
Earlier, the waiting line of reporters and spectators outside the Blair County Courthouse where Mangione's hearing was being held snaked around the block before the building's doors opened Thursday morning.
Several people were quietly holding homemade signs. One, echoed the words written on bullets found at the Midtown scene where UnitedHealthare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot: "Deny, Defend, Depose."
Adam Giesseman, held a "Free Luigi" sign which also said "Murder for Profit is Terrorism," and told ABC News he drove here to Hollidaysburg, Penn. from Ohio last night for this occasion.
"Our country is broken," he said. He does not, however, plan to disrupt proceedings with his message, he added.
RELATED | Supporters of suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione establish defense fund
Another waiting spectator Natalie, who would only give her first name and wore a medical mask, and voiced frustration that the insurance system is "set up for profit over people's health."
"It's unfortunate that this happened, and I'm not glorifying it in any way -- but it's brought attention to the issue that affects all Americans," she said.
A special edition of "20/20" airing Dec. 19 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC looks at the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the manhunt that led to the arrest of Luigi Mangione, who went from the Ivy League to alleged killer.
RELATED | Timeline of UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting
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Information from ABC News and the Associated Press
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