Defense attorneys for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing a health insurance giant CEO late last year, launched a website for information about the various cases on Friday, including Mangione’s first public statement.
Mangione is set to appear in New York state court Friday afternoon for a status conference that may include setting a trial date, ABC News reported. He has already entered a not guilty plea to the 11 charges in the state indictment, which include murder charges with terrorism enhancements.
Mangione is accused of lying in wait for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the morning of December 4, 2024, then gunning him down as he walked to an investor’s conference at the Manhattan Hilton. A dayslong manhunt ensued, ending in Pennsylvania when a McDonald’s employee recognized him and called police.
The Ivy Leaguer, part of a well-to-do Maryland family, also faces federal charges, although a federal grand jury has not yet indicted him. A hearing in federal court is scheduled on March 19. He was also charged on weapons and false identification charges in Pennsylvania and has a hearing on those charges set for next week.
“I am overwhelmed by – and grateful for – everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support,” Mangione wrote on the defense website. “Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions, as mail has flooded MDC from across the country, and around the globe. While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write. I look forward to hearing more in the future.”
Police found writings with Mangione in which he decried the healthcare industry at large and UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurance company, in particular. In the documents, Mangione said the company has “simply gotten too powerful, and they contue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allowed them to get away with it,” Business Insider wrote.
Mangione, 26, is in custody in the federal detention center in Brooklyn, where many high profile defendants are kept prior to trial.
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[Featured image: FILE – Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal court for his arraignment on state murder and terror charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in New York. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP, File)