Luigi Mangione Court Appearance

Image credits: Jeenah Moon/Reuters via CNN Newsource

Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a busy Manhattan sidewalk, has arrived in court for a status hearing on Friday in New York City. The prosecution and defense are expected to give updates on the status of the case Friday, with Judge Gregory Carro potentially setting pretrial paperwork deadlines and a trial date. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state charges but has yet to enter a plea on federal murder 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 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. The 26-year-old has received widespread public support, from offers to help pay for his legal bills to an extended applause at the mention of his name in a comedy bit on “Saturday Night Live.” The killing of Thompson, a husband and father of two, unleashed what some observers describe as Americans’ pent-up anger and frustration with the nation’s health insurance industry. Mangione released his first statement from prison last week on a new website created and linked to by his attorneys at the law firm Agnifilo Intrater, expressing gratitude for the support he has received.

A Manhattan grand jury has 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. His Friday court hearing is scheduled to start at 2:15 p.m. ET. The first-degree murder charge alleges he killed the executive “in furtherance of an act of terrorism,” which is legally defined as an intent to intimidate or coerce the civilian population or a government unit. One of the second-degree counts also alleges Mangione committed murder “as a crime of terrorism.” He faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.

Prosecutors have argued Mangione expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives, a relatively mainstream position in modern American politics. The public was captivated by the weeklong manhunt for Thompson’s alleged killer, which ended when a customer and a worker at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s reported Mangione to the police. When Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania, investigators allegedly found on him the fake ID used by the suspect, the gun they believe was used in the shooting and a handwritten “claim of responsibility,” authorities have said. A charge of murder in the first degree is rare in New York because it requires special elements related to the crime to be charged.

Under state law, murder in the first degree only applies to a narrow list of aggravating circumstances, including when the victim is a judge, a police officer or a first responder, or when the killing involves a murder-for-hire or an intent to commit terrorism. The killing also has sent shock waves through the corporate world, rattling executives who say they saw a spike in threats. Mangione was first arrested and taken into federal custody, but officials have since said his state trial will proceed first. At his state court hearing in December, Agnifilo, Mangione’s attorney, expressed concerns about her client’s ability to obtain a fair trial, specifically citing Mayor Eric Adams’ presence among the dozens of heavily armed law enforcement officials as he was extradited to Lower Manhattan from Pennsylvania.