Luigi Mangione remains in a Pennsylvania state prison as he fights his extradition to New York to face charges including second-degree murder in the deadly shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione, 26, a member of a well-known Baltimore-area family who graduated from the Gilman School and University of Pennsylvania, is accused of shooting and killing Thompson, 50, on Dec. 4 outside the New York Hilton Midtown.
Police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, arrested Mangione on Monday at a McDonald’s after an employee recognized him.
As sheriff’s deputies escorted him into the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday for an extradition hearing, he shouted at reporters, “That’s completely out of touch, and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and to lived experience!”
Here’s what you need to know.
What happens next with extradition?
Mangione has 14 days to challenge his extradition.
Meanwhile, Blair County Common Pleas Judge David B. Consiglio has given prosecutors 30 days to obtain a governor’s warrant to extradite him.
“The judge is going to schedule the hearing, and we’ll be ready for the hearing when the judge schedules it,” Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks said at a news conference.
In Pennsylvania, Mangione is charged with forgery, carrying a firearm without a license, possessing instruments of a crime and related offenses. He’s scheduled to appear on Dec. 23 for a preliminary hearing, according to court records.
Weeks said his office intends to move forward with that case but will cooperate with the New York Police Department and Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to “facilitate their prosecution of this defendant first.”
“We do not intend to delay this defendant’s extradition to New York,” he said. “Their prosecution should take precedence, and then ours will follow.”
In an email, Emily Tuttle, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, said District Attorney Alvin Bragg will seek a governor’s warrant to secure extradition.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she’s coordinating with the office and will sign the request.
“Public safety is my top priority and I’ll do everything in my power to keep the streets of New York safe,” Hochul said in a statement.
Mangione is being held at the State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon without bail. That’s instead of the county jail, Blair County Prison.
Extradition is ‘delaying the inevitable’
Berks County District Attorney John Adams is not involved in the case but serves as communications chair for the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association. He’s been in office since 2008.
Adams said prosecutors routinely handle extradition cases and added that they’re generally “pretty mundane.” He said there’s rarely litigation but when that happens it typically involves the question of identity.
But Adams said he does not view identity as an issue in this case.
“You’re delaying the inevitable,” Adams said.
At any point, Mangione, he said, can change his decision and waive extradition.
Why is Mangione charged with second-degree murder?
Mangione is charged in New York City Criminal Court with five counts:
- Second-degree murder (one count)
- Criminal possession of a weapon in the second-degree (two counts)
- Criminal possession of a weapon in the third-degree (one count)
- Criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree (one count)
In New York, there must be an aggravating factor that’s present for people to be convicted of first-degree murder. Here are a few examples:
- The victim was working in a public service position, including as a police officer, judge or firefighter.
- The killing was connected to an act of terrorism.
- The murder was a contract killing.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference, Tom Dickey, Mangione’s attorney, said he “hasn’t seen any evidence that says he’s the shooter.”
Dickey is an attorney in Altoona who previously worked for the Blair County Public Defender’s Office and went into private practice in 1984, according to his law office’s website. He’s defended clients facing charges that range from driving under the influence to first-degree murder.
“The fundamental concept of American justice is the presumption of innocence,” Dickey said. “I’ve seen zero evidence at this point.”
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