Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering the head of the largest health insurance company in the US, struggled with police and tried to make himself heard in front of the press on the way to court. His supposed manifesto harshly criticizes what he calls the most expensive healthcare system in the world.
The man accused of murder in the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare He made it clear that he was not going to make things easier for authorities, shouting unintelligibly and struggling as officers restrained him on the way to court, as well as objecting to being transferred to New York to face trial.
Tuesday's show of resistance was not expected to significantly delay the prosecution of Luigi Nicholas Mangione, accused of the murder in Manhattan last week of Brian Thompson, the head of the largest health insurance company in the United States.
Little new information has emerged about his possible motivation, although writings found in Mangione's possession hinted at a vague hatred of corporate greed.
In his first public statements since he was arrested at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania after a five-day search, the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family emerged from a patrol car shouting about an “insult to the intelligence of the American people” as agents pushed him into a courtroom.
A police document obtained by The Associated Press indicated that at the time of his arrest, Mangione was carrying a handwritten document in which he expressed anger toward what he described as “parasitic” health insurers and disdain for corporate greed and power. .
He wrote that the United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of large corporations continue to increase while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the document.
Mangione remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of a firearm without a license, forgery and providing false identification to police.
Manhattan prosecutors began proceedings to bring Mangione to New York, but in a brief hearing Tuesday, defense attorney Thomas Dickey said his client will not accept extradition and instead wants a hearing on the matter. Mangione was denied bail after prosecutors said he was too dangerous to be released.
During the hearing, the defendant mostly looked forward, occasionally looking at papers, rocking in his chair or looking back in the gallery.
“You can't rush a trial in this case or in any case,” Dickey said afterward. “His innocence is presumed. Let's not forget that.”
Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 370 kilometers (about 230 miles) west of New York City, after a McDonald's customer recognized him and notified an employee, authorities said.
NYPD officials have said Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used to kill Thompson and the same fake ID the suspected shooter had used to check into a New York hostel, along with a passport and other identification. fraudulent.
An official who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said a three-page handwritten document found with Mangione included a line in which he claimed to have acted alone.
“To the federals, I will be brief, because I respect what they do for our country. To save you a long investigation, I clearly state that I did not work with anyone,” the document said, according to the official.
Thompson, 50, was killed Dec. 4 while walking alone to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. From surveillance video, New York investigators determined that the shooter quickly fled the city, probably by bus.
Mangione grew up in a life of country clubs and privilege. His grandfather was a self-made real estate developer and philanthropist.
“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest,” Mangione's family said in a statement posted on social media Monday night by his cousin, Maryland Delegate Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and ask people to pray for everyone involved.”
From January to June 2022, Luigi Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a co-living space on the edge of Honolulu's Waikiki resort area. Josiah Ryan, a spokesman for owner and founder RJ Martin, said he was widely considered a “great guy,” although he had long dealt with severe back pain that interfered with many aspects of his life.