IHe faces 11 charges. Luigi Mangione, alleged killer of a major insurance boss in the United States, appeared this Monday, December 23 in New York court, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder and terrorism brought against him by the State . “Not guilty,” pronounced the 26-year-old young man, entering the courtroom of the criminal court with his hands and ankles handcuffed and restrained by a metal chain around his waist. A wall of police stood behind him during this short twenty-minute hearing, reports Agence France-Presse.
This hearing was an opportunity for Luigi Mangione, nicknamed the “smiling killer”, to formally respond to the accusations brought by the Manhattan district attorney's office. The young man faces 11 counts in New York, including one of first-degree murder and two of second-degree murder, as well as other charges related to weapons and counterfeiting, according to the indictment. accusation cited by CNN.
This former engineering student is accused of cold-bloodedly shooting Brian Thompson, CEO of the country's largest private health insurer, UnitedHealthcare, in the streets of Manhattan on December 4. He was finally arrested five days later, in possession of a manifesto revealing his anger against the health insurance sector.
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If this murder, the images of which circulated around the world, shocked, many reactions showed a certain ambivalence regarding the death of Brian Thompson, proof of anger towards private health insurance companies, accused of enriching themselves on the backs of the Americans. In France, Nathalie Arthaud even paid tribute to this “individual vigilante”. On social media, the phrase “Free Luigi” went viral. This Monday, around ten people demonstrated at the foot of the criminal court shouting “Health, now”.
Before the federal courts of New York, Luigi Mangione faces life in prison. A new hearing is scheduled for February 21, specifies CNN. The accused has already appeared last Thursday for the murder of Brian Thompson, but as part of a separate procedure opened by the federal courts, before which he faces the death penalty if he is found guilty.
