Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was denied bail in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, intensifying the legal battle surrounding his extradition to New York. Mangione, who was arrested following a nationwide manhunt, faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder, in connection with Thompson's fatal shooting outside a midtown Manhattan hotel last week.
Appearing in an orange jumpsuit at the Blair County Courthouse, Mangione declared his intention to fight extradition during a brief hearing. Judge Judith Vale ruled against granting bail, citing the severity of the charges and the ongoing investigation. Mangione's defense attorney, Thomas Dickey, has 14 days to file a writ of habeas corpus to challenge his detention. Until then, Mangione will remain at the State Correctional Institution Huntingdon in Pennsylvania.
Authorities apprehended Mangione on Monday at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a vigilant customer recognized him from surveillance images. The customer informed an employee, who alerted local police. When officers arrived, Mangione presented a fake New Jersey driver's license. A search of his belongings revealed a 3D-printed semi-automatic pistol with a silencer, thousands of dollars in cash, and handwritten notes allegedly detailing his motive for the crime.
The writings, described by New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, revealed "ill will toward corporate America" and suggested the killing was a "symbolic takedown" of corporate greed. The arrest brought to a close a multi-state search for the masked gunman who shot Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, outside a Hilton hotel where the executive was set to attend an investor conference.
Mangione faces a lengthy list of charges, including two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a forged document, and third-degree criminal possession of a firearm. His arrest has sparked widespread attention, not only due to the high-profile nature of the victim but also because of the suspect's privileged background and Ivy League education.
Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate and valedictorian of Baltimore's prestigious Gilman School, comes from a prominent Sicilian-American family known for its real estate ventures and philanthropy. His family issued a statement expressing shock and devastation at his arrest, calling for prayers for all involved.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro weighed in on the case, condemning the act as an unacceptable form of protest. "In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint," Shapiro said during a news conference on Monday.
Despite Mangione's claims to the contrary, prosecutors allege he meticulously planned the attack. An internal intelligence report from the NYPD characterized Mangione as viewing himself as a martyr against corporate corruption. The report cited three handwritten pages found on him at the time of his arrest, describing them as a manifesto justifying his actions.
