Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old suspect in the murder of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson in New York City, was escorted to a Blair County Court House in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, for an extradition hearing on December 10, 2024.
Mangione has enlisted Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a well-known attorney, to handle his New York charges related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Agnifilo’s firm, Agnifilo Intrater LLC, confirmed her representation but chose not to divulge any further information. In a brief statement, they mentioned, “She will not be making any statements at this time.”
Friedman Agnifilo carries a wealth of experience, having served as the chief assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office under Cyrus Vance Jr. for seven years, and she led the trial division for four years.
The search for Mangione, which lasted several days, concluded on Monday when he was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Authorities found him in a McDonald’s, accompanied by a backpack believed to contain evidence related to Thompson’s shooting.
Mangione, hailing from a notable family in Baltimore, faces serious charges in New York, including one count of murder, three counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and one count of possession of a forged instrument. In Pennsylvania, he has been arraigned on two felony charges of forgery and carrying a firearm without a license, along with three misdemeanor charges for tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of crime, and providing false identification to law enforcement.
Currently, Mangione is held in isolation at Huntingdon State Correctional Institution. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, he lacks access to television, does not interact with other inmates, and eats alone in his cell.
In response to his arrest, online fundraisers were initiated to support Mangione. Although at least three appeared on GoFundMe, they have been taken down. GoFundMe stated it would refund donations made to these campaigns, citing that its Terms of Service prohibit fundraising for legal defenses in violent crime cases.
Meanwhile, GiveSendGo, another crowdfunding site, continues to host a fundraiser for Mangione’s legal fees. As of Saturday morning, the fundraiser had gathered more than $94,000, with a target of $200,000. It states: “We’re not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right of fair legal representation.”
There’s uncertainty about whether these donations will cover Mangione’s legal expenses. His family couldn’t be reached for comments over the weekend.
Thomas Dickey, a Pennsylvania attorney, mentioned he hadn’t encountered any evidence directly linking Mangione to the murder and expressed that Mangione intends to plead not guilty to charges in both states.
Attempts to reach Dickey and Friedman Agnifilo for comments were unsuccessful on Saturday.
