Luigi Mangione, 26, has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts, including murder as an act of terrorism, in the Dec. 4 killing of Brian Thompson outside a midtown Manhattan hotel.
The UnitedHealthcare CEO was ambushed and shot on a sidewalk as he walked to an investor conference.
Mangione arrived with his hands and ankles shackled, wearing a bulletproof vest over a green sweater – matching many of his supporters in and outside the courtroom, who also wore green.
Dozens of Mangione supporters packed the seats of the Manhattan courtroom, where Justice Gregory Carro checked in on the status of the evidence sharing process and set a schedule for the two sides to submit motions.
Judge Gregory Carro denied a request from one of Mangione’s attorneys to remove the shackles.
The 26-year-old has pleaded not guilty to state charges related to the killing of Thompson as the executive walked toward the hotel hosting UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference in Midtown Manhattan on December 4.
Mangione also pleaded not guilty to murder, firearms and stalking charges in federal court, where if convicted of the most serious crime, he could face the death penalty.
An attorney for Mangione said she may seek to get evidence gathered during his Pennsylvania arrest thrown out — and claimed Mayor Eric Adams and a top NYPD official improperly discussed evidence in the case.
“There is a serious search and seizure issue here,” said Karen Agnifilo, a lawyer for Mangione during a state court appearance Friday. “We want to have the opportunity to litigate that.”
She went on to say Mangione’s “right to a fair trial is continuously being impacted.”
Prosecutors say Mangione traveled to New York City last fall with a plan to kill the UnitedHealthcare CEO while he was in town for an investor conference. They say he waited outside Thompson’s hotel, shot him in the back and the leg, then fled to Pennsylvania where he was arrested days later.
The hearing started with prosecutors reviewing the evidence they’ve turned over to the defense, including police body camera footage, police reports, surveillance videos, data from a cell phone dropped at the scene of the crime, autopsy reports, the medical examiners’ forensic files and forensic DNA testing materials.
A Manhattan grand jury indicted Mangione with an 11-count indictment, which includes one count of murder in the first degree and two counts of murder in the second degree, along with other weapon and forgery charges.
The case has attracted public fascination with the killing and Mangione himself. The suspect’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, was greeted with applause and cheers when she arrived at the courthouse.
Signs of sympathy and support for Mangione dotted the scene outside the courtroom Friday morning. In the hours ahead of the hearing, dozens of people lined up for the chance to observe the proceedings, and supporters waved signs that read “Free Luigi” and “Healthcare is a Human Right.”
“Wanted” posters bearing the names and photos of the murdered Thompson and other high-profile heath insurance executives began popping up around Manhattan in recent weeks.
Posters of the “Wanted” CEOs of other major health care corporations appeared nearby the court. The signs featured pictures of Thompson, OptumHealth CEO Heather Cianfrocco and UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty.
The menacing posters were erected on some of Manhattan’s busiest thoroughfares – flanked with the red and black words: ‘Wanted. Denying medical care for corporate profit. Health care CEOs should not feel safe.’
The signs also included the phrase suspected shooter, who allegedly wrote on the bullets found at the crime scene – ‘Deny. Defend. Depose.’
Inside the courthouse, would-be attendees – many of them young women – packed the hallway, some sporting “Free Luigi” apparel.