Murder of United Healthcare CEO: Luigi Mangione will plead not guilty, according to his lawyer

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Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of fatally shooting United Healthcare CEO Bryan Thompson, will fight extradition to New York and is expected to plead not guilty to the charges against him in that state, his attorney said. lawyer to the press on Tuesday.

Mangione was initially charged with possessing a firearm without a license, forgery and providing false identification to Pennsylvania police late Monday after being recognized at a McDonalds .

A graduate of an Ivy League, the name given to the most prestigious universities in the country, the young man will plead not guilty to the charges brought against him in Pennsylvania and will oppose his extradition to New York, said his lawyer Tom Dickey.

The latter added that he expected the suspect to also plead not guilty to the murder charges brought against him in New York, where Brian Thompson died after being shot outside a hotel.

Mangione’s decision to contest his extradition could delay the procedure by several days or even months, as the New York Times pointed out.

“We must not rush to judgment in this case or in any other case,” his lawyer said. “He is presumed innocent. Let’s not forget that.”

In his first public appearance since his indictment, Luigi Mangione resisted authorities. As he got out of the police car, he shouted these words: “It’s an insult to the intelligence of the American people.”as he was pushed inside the court. It is not clear exactly what he was referring to.

Shocked

At the time of his arrest, Luigi Mangione had with him a handwritten document expressing his anger against what he calls health insurance companies “parasitic”. He claims that the United States has the most expensive health care system in the world and that companies have seen their profits increase while life expectancy in the United States has not increased.

Friends of Mangione said he suffered from debilitating back pain and had been off the radar for several months before the murder after undergoing back surgery, fueling speculation that he had could have been motivated by a hatred of health insurance companies.

Mangione would have had a comfortable life: grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his preparatory class in Baltimore, he also graduated from one of the best private universities in the country.

“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest”said the Mangione family in a statement published on social networks late Monday.

“We offer our prayers to Brian Thompson’s family and ask people to pray for everyone involved”they added.

Luigi Mangione was recognized at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania after a nationwide search for Brian Thompson’s killer. The police found him in possession of a “ghost gun”untraceable and 3D printed, and the same fake ID card that the alleged shooter used to check into a hostel in New York near the crime scene.

The case sparked widespread debate about corporate greed and injustice in the U.S. medical insurance industry, with some even celebrating Mangione instead of condemning the killing.

On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that “violence to combat any form of corporate greed is unacceptable,” adding that the Biden administration condemns the violence.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was “deeply grateful to the men and women of law enforcement whose efforts to solve the horrific murder of Brian Thompson led to the arrest of a suspect in Pennsylvania.”

She added that she would issue an arrest warrant for Mangione so he could stand trial in New York.