Luigi Mangione, the man charged over the fatal shooting of CEO of UnitedHealthcare in New York City, has made his first court appearance since his December arraignment on state murder and terror charges.
The 26-year-old led authorities on a five-day manhunt before eventually being caught and arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, after he was reported by an employee.
During Friday’s hearing, prosecutors and Mangione's defense lawyers provided updates on the status of the case.
Hordes of fans gathered inside the courtroom and outside on the street after the hearing concluded. “We the people want Luigi free!” they shouted.
Mangione, who has become a cult hero to some since the killing, has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism.
He is accused of gunning down Brian Thompson outside a midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4. The healthcare boss was shot three times in the back on a sidewalk as he walked to an investor conference in the city.
Mangione also faces federal charges that could carry the possibility of the death penalty. He is currently being held in a Brooklyn federal jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried.
Key Points
- Brief recap: What happened?
- What is Luigi Mangione charged with?
- Who is alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione?
Watch: Mangione's lawyer speaks outside court following proceedings
21:00 , Mike BediganMore from Mangione supporters
20:45 , Mike BediganChurch from The Bronx, who was injured in a car accident two years ago and struggled to get treatment through his insurer, says Luigi is innocent but refused to elaborate more.
“Everyone is one major illness away from bankruptcy,” he told The Independent.
“That CEO was just as much of a murderer as the healthcare CEO killer is” adds a Brooklynite.
In pictures: Luigi Mangione wears bulletproof vest to court
20:30 , Mike Bedigan
'Something had to give, and that something was Luigi Mangione'
20:20 , Mike BediganOne supporter stood outside court told The Independent he had traveled 3 hours from Maryland to be here to just see the reaction to the protests.
Because of the tension between the healthcare industry and Americans, “something’s gotta give and that something was Luigi Mangione….he’s a go getter,” he said.
Fans 'disappointed' to not be let in to hearing
20:10 , Mike BediganOne woman, who flew in from Chicago, said she was “disappointed” that more people weren’t let into the courtroom, having waited for seven hours to get in.
“I think major changes are needed in insurance…,” she told The Independent.
“It brought a spotlight and a charge to take action against wrongdoing by corporate entities milking as much as they can from normal people.”
Hordes of fans outside the courthouse
20:03 , Mike BediganLarge crowds of people are gathering outside the courthouse, reports Kelly Rissman.
“We the people want Luigi free!” they’re shouting.
One man, who traveled from Syracuse just for the day, said he’s here because “healthcare is a human right.”
Another New Yorker added that the incident was “inevitable,” given the amount of tension with the healthcare industry.
That's it for today
19:50 , Kelly RissmanThat’s all for today, Mangione has left the courtroom.
The 26-year-old looked disinterested in the proceedings, but was glancing at his crowd of supporters as he was escorted out.
Agnifilo is trying to get him moved out of Metro Detention Centre Brooklyn because he's currently being held on just a complaint in federal court but there's an indictment from Manhattan prosecutors.
Agnifilo says Mangione's constitutional rights were 'violated' in PA
19:43 , Kelly RissmanAgnifilo says that there is a chance evidence is being withheld from the defense.
"I think there's a very serious search issue in this matter," she said, saying there's a chance evidence is being suppressed in this case.
Regarding search and seizure of his possessions, she adds: "We think our client's constitutional rights were violated in Pennsylvania.”
"We have never been provided copies of the journal, which is being called manifesto.”
Mangione's supporters are making themselves heard
19:35 , Kelly RissmanMangione’s supporters are cheering, we can hear them from down the hall.
Inside the court we’re being told that his phone, phone records were collected in the first batch of evidence.
Prosecutors today have turned over police body cam footage, DNA and forensic testing, the autopsy report and grand jury testimony for non-civilian witnesses.
Prosecutors plan to have search warrants turned over in the next two weeks. Civilian witnesses' names have been redacted from the grand jury minutes.
Agnifilo says the defense “hasn't gotten the bulk of the discovery," including police records
She's objecting to setting a motion schedule as prosecutors are deciding whether they will seek the death penalty. "That is where our focus is. That's why the discovery is so critical...to what we can put in our motions."
Watch: Luigi Mangione enters Manhattan courtroom
19:31 , Mike BediganLuigi Mangione just now arriving at the New York Supreme Criminal Court for his first court appearance of the year. pic.twitter.com/p2bfevDMbs
— The Luigi Case (@LuigiCaseFiles) February 21, 2025
Mangione arrives
19:28 , Kelly RissmanMangione has arrived in the courtroom.
He's here wearing a dark green sweater and what appears to be black bulletproof vest.
His lawyer, Karen Agnifilo, has asked for Mangione to be unshackled for this appearance.
He is a "model" prisoner, she has argued.
Live from the courtroom: Still waiting for Mangione
19:24 , Kelly RissmanIt looks like the hearing won’t be starting at 2:15 p.m. after all... we are still waiting on members of the public to come into the courtroom and, of course, Mangione.
There’s quite a bit of green among the members of the public who have entered – one is wearing sparkly green sweater.
It seems to be an homage to Luigi of Mario Bros. fame.
About 40 members of the public have been allowed in, and the judge has entered. Now just waiting for Mangione himself.
Court proceedings expected to start shortly
19:16 , Mike BediganToday’s court proceedings in Mangione’s case are scheduled for 2.15 p.m and expected to start shortly.
Stay tuned for more updates live from The Independent’s Kelly Rissman who is down in the courtroom.
The hearing is taking place on the fifteenth floor of the New York criminal court, the same place as Donald Trump’s high-profile hush money trial.
Watch: Luigi Mangione arrives in New York after extradition from Pennsylvania
19:00 , Mike BediganWho is Karen Friedman Agnifilo? Top New York attorney Luigi Mangione retained for legal defense
18:30 , Mike BediganLuigi Mangione has retained a top New York attorney for his legal defense in connection with the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo has been officially retained to represent Mangione, 26, in New York, after the executive, 50, was gunned down outside the New York Hilton in Midtown Manhattan on December 4.
Here’s more about what we know about Friedman Agnifilo:
Who is Karen Friedman Agnifilo? Top New York attorney Luigi Mangione retained
Watch live: Luigi Mangione returns to court in Manhattan
18:10Earlier this month Mangione accepted nearly $300,000 in donations toward his legal defense, according to the fund.
The 26-year-old graduate pleaded not guilty to the New York state charges, but has yet to make pleas in the other venues.
The December 4 Legal Committee, which created a GiveSendGo legal fund, announced on February 10 that Mangione would be accepting the more than $292,000 in funds that the group has raised.
“We’re thrilled that Luigi is accepting these funds so that he can mount the strongest defense possible,” said D4 Legal Committee spokesperson Sam Beard in a statement. “The American private health insurance industry has ruined countless lives by denying people access to basic care and burying families in medical debt. It’s no surprise that Luigi’s alleged actions are understood and supported by tens of millions of hard-working Americans.”
The announcement came a week after Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo told Newsweek that her client planned on using the donations.
Luigi Mangione shares first public message since his arrest after killing of United Healthcare CEO
17:40 , Mike BediganLast month, the 26-year-old Ivy League grad, shared a public message for the first time since his arrest.
Mangione now has a dedicated website set up by his legal team due to what his lawyers called the “extraordinary volume of inquiries and outpouring of support.”
Read more here from Rhian Lubin:
Luigi Mangione shares first public message since arrest after CEO killing
Live from court
17:19 , Mike BediganThe Independent’s Kelly Rissman is currently waiting in line to get into the courtroom.
She reports that the surrounding area outside the courthouse is deserted, but inside is jam-packed.
One side of the crowd is press and the other is a mob of Mangione supporters — some wearing green Luigi hats.
What is Luigi Mangione charged with?
17:00 , Mike BediganFriday marks Mangione’s first appearance in New York court since his arraignment on state murder and terror charges, though he also faces federal charges.
Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state charges expected to go to trial first.
Mangione’s New York state charges are:
- one count of first degree murder
- two counts of second degree murder
- seven counts of criminal possession of a weapon
- one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument
The maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole.
On a federal level, Mangione is charged with:
- one count of using a firearm to commit murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison
- one count of interstate stalking resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison
- one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison
- one count of discharging a firearm that was equipped with a silencer in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 year
In Pennsylvania, he faces charges including possession of fraudulent documents, possession of a firearm without a license, and forgery.
Brief recap: What happened?
16:30 , Mike BediganLuigi Mangione has been charged with murder in connection to the death of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Thompson, 50, was gunned down outside the New York Hilton Midtown on December 4, as he was walking to an investor conference.
The incident was caught on surveillance footage.
Mangione eluded police for nearly a week until he was spotted eating a meal inside a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania after an employee recognized him from the photos circulating online and tipped off police.
He appeared in court first in Pennsylvania, before being returned to New York.
In pictures: Luigi Mangione's high-profile return to New York and perp walk in December
15:50 , Mike Bedigan
Recap: Who is alleged healthcare boss killer Luigi Mangione?
15:30 , Mike BediganIt’s been a while since Mangione’s last appearance in court in Manhattan, so here is a refresher on the details, courtesy of The Independent’s reporters:
Who is Luigi Mangione? What to know about murder suspect in CEO shooting
Luigi Mangione, alleged healthcare CEO killer, back in court today
15:20 , Mike BediganHello!
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old vigilante who allegedly gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is due to appear back in a Manhattan court today for the first time since his December arraignment.
Follow here for The Independent’s live coverage, as well as a recap of the story so far.
