Luigi Mangione's attorney expects alleged CEO killer to plead not guilty

NEW YORK - The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggled with deputies and shouted while being led into court Tuesday as new details emerged about his possible motivation behind the ambush.

In his first public words since a five-day search ended with his arrest at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania, Luigi Nicholas Mangione emerged from a patrol car shouting about an "insult to the intelligence of the American people" while deputies pushed him inside a courthouse.

The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family is fighting attempts to extradite him to New York so that he can face a murder charge in the Manhattan killing of Brian Thompson, who led the United States’ largest medical insurance company.

A law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said that at the time of his arrest, Mangione was carrying a handwritten document expressing anger with what he called "parasitic" health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed and power.

He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world and that profits of major corporations continue to rise while "our life expectancy" does not, according to the bulletin.

In social media posts, Mangione called "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski — who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology — a "political revolutionary," according to the police bulletin.

Mangione remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police.

Manhattan prosecutors were beginning to take steps to bring Mangione to New York, but at a brief hearing Tuesday, defense lawyer Thomas Dickey said his client will not waive extradition and instead wants a hearing on the issue. Mangione was denied bail after prosecutors said he was too dangerous to be released.

He mostly stared straight ahead at the hearing, occasionally looking at papers, rocking in his chair or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion but was quieted by his lawyer.

"You can’t rush to judgment in this case or any case," Dickey said afterward. "He’s presumed innocent. Let’s not forget that."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday night on the social platform X that she will sign "a request for a governor’s warrant to ensure the suspect in the murder of Brian Thompson is held accountable in New York."

Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City, after a McDonald’s customer recognized him and notified an employee, authorities said.

Images of Mangione released Tuesday by Pennsylvania State Police showed him pulling down his mask in the corner of the McDonald's while holding what appeared to be hash browns and wearing a winter jacket and beanie. In another photo from a holding cell, he stood unsmiling with rumpled hair.

New York police officials have said Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used to kill Thompson and the same fake ID the shooter had used to check into a New York hostel, along with a passport and other fraudulent IDs.

A law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke with 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 Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone," the document said, according to the official.

It also said, "I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming."

SKIP TO: SHOOTING TIMELINE | HOW IT ALL STARTED | WHO IS LUIGI?

Here’s a timeline of events, from the deadly shooting to the 911 call that ended the chase.

Tuesday, Dec. 10 

Defense lawyer: ‘You cannot rush to judgment’

Thomas Dickey, the attorney for Luigi Mangione, told the press that he's fighting for Mangione's extradition.

"We have constitutional right. If you believe in America then you cannot rush to judgment," he told the media.

Mangione didn’t appear to say anything as deputies led him to a waiting car outside as he left the courthousel

White House condemns ‘horrific’ killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says "violence to combat any sort of corporate greed is unacceptable" and the White House will "continue to condemn any form of violence."

She declined to comment on the investigation into the Dec. 4 shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson or reports that writings belonging to the suspect, Luigi Mangione, said insurance companies care more about profits than their customers.

"This is horrific," Jean-Pierre said of the fatal shooting of Thompson as he walked in Manhattan.

Mangione denied bail, contested extradition

3:00 p.m. The Associated Press

At the brief hearing, defense lawyer Thomas Dickey informed the court that Mangione would not waive extradition to New York but instead wants a hearing on the issue. He has 14 days to challenge detention.

Mangione, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, mostly stared straight ahead at the hearing, occasionally consulting papers, rocking in his chair or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion but was quieted by his lawyer.

Mangione yells at the press

1:58 p.m. Michael Stallone

As police escorted Mangione into a Pennsylvania courthouse, he became irate and yelled at the press.

"This is completely unjust and an insult to the intelligence of the American people. This is a lived experience," he shouted, according to Fox News.

Manhattan prosecutors have obtained a warrant for Mangione’s arrest

12:18 p.m. The Associated Press

The warrant on murder and other charges is a step that could help expedite his extradition from Pennsylvania.

In court papers made public Tuesday, a New York City police detective reiterated key findings in the investigation he said tied Mangione to the killing, including surveillance footage and a fake ID he used to check into a Manhattan hostel on Nov. 24. Police officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, found that ID when they arrested Mangione on Monday. 

Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. 

Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument.
Mangione doesn’t yet have a lawyer who can speak on his behalf, court officials said.

Man who saw shooting suspect in Pennsylvania McDonald's talks to reporters 

12 p.m.  Adeja Shivonne

Larry, a man that says he saw Mangione, told AP: "It started out almost a little bit like a joke. Because my one friend thought he looked like the shooter."

"I think the one worker that actually thought it was him. She said between his eyes and his eyebrows she says, when I took his order, it was like she got in her mind, oh my God. It’s the guy from New York," the man said. 

Mangione hearing scheduled 

11:30 a.m. Adeja Shivonne

A hearing has been set for 1 :30 p.m on Tuesday. 

Mangione expected to be extradited 

10:45 a.m. Adeja Shivonne

Pennsylvania State police share photos of Mangione eating at McDonald's moments before being arrested. 

9:00 a.m

Mangione is expected to be extradited to New York City to face murder charges. There's been no word on timing.  

Monday, Dec. 9 — Altoona, Pennsylvania | Luigi Nicholas Mangione arrest

9:14 a.m. — Police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, respond to a report of a man matching the suspect’s description at a McDonald’s.

Mangione is arrested on unrelated charges. He was found with a gun believed to be the murder weapon, writings indicating hostility toward corporate America, a mask matching the one used during the crime, and a fraudulent ID identical to the one used at the hostel.

Sunday, Dec. 8 

The Central Park pond search continues, but police decline to comment on developments.

Saturday, Dec. 7 — Divers search Central Park pond

Scuba divers search a Central Park pond, while additional surveillance photos of the suspect in a taxi are released. Despite a fingerprint from the Starbucks purchase and DNA testing, the suspect's identity is still unknown.

Friday, Dec. 6 —  Mangione allegedly takes bus to PA

Police confirm the suspect likely left New York City on a bus but have no footage showing him boarding. Investigators also recover a backpack believed to belong to the suspect, though its contents remain undisclosed.

Wednesday, Dec. 4 — Shooting timeline

5:30 a.m. — The suspect leaves the hostel early in the morning.

5:41 a.m. — He is seen pacing near the Hilton hotel on 54th Street and Sixth Avenue, where UnitedHealth Group is hosting its annual investor conference. Police suspect he used a bicycle to get there quickly.

The man stops at a nearby Starbucks, purchasing a bottle of water and an energy bar before heading back to the Hilton.

6:44 a.m. — He shoots Brian Thompson, who was arriving at the conference alone, and flees the scene.

6:48 a.m. — The suspect enters Central Park on a bicycle through the 60th Street and Center Drive entrance, where police believe he ditches a gray backpack.

6:56 a.m. — He exits the park at West 77th Street and Central Park West, still on the bicycle.

6:58 a.m. — He passes another surveillance camera at 85th Street and Columbus Avenue.

7 a.m. — The suspect is seen at 86th Street without the bicycle.

7:04 a.m. — He hails a taxi at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, heading north.

7:30 a.m. — He is near the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, which offers routes to various cities, including Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

At the scene of the shooting, investigators discover ammunition marked with the words "delay," "deny," and "depose"—a phrase often associated with criticisms of the insurance industry.

Friday, Nov. 29 – Suspected shooter checks out of hostel

The hostel automatically checks him out after he misses the check-out deadline. Police don’t believe he stayed elsewhere and think he re-checked into the same hostel later.

Sunday, Nov. 24  – Shooter arrives in NYC

10:11 p.m. — The suspected shooter arrives at the Port Authority terminal on a Greyhound bus from Atlanta. Police are unsure where he boarded the bus, which made several stops along the way.

From the terminal, he takes a taxi to the New York Hilton Midtown, where he lingers for about 30 minutes before heading to the HI New York City Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue. At the hostel, he uses what police believe is a fake ID to check into a shared room with bunk beds. His roommates never saw his face because he kept his mask on.

While in the lobby, he briefly pulls down his mask to smile at an employee—a moment captured on surveillance footage and widely circulated by police.

Luigi Mangione background

Authorities said Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, and he was the valedictorian in the 2016 class at Baltimore’s private Gilman School. In his graduation speech, he talked about his classmates’ "incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things," the Associated Press reported.

"Quite honestly, he had everything going for him," said Freddie Leatherbury, a former classmate. Leatherbury described Mangione as a smart, friendly and athletic student who came from a wealthy family, even by the private school’s standards.

He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesman told The Associated Press on Monday.

Written with the Associated Press.