The suspect charged with shooting to death a health insurance company chief executive on a Manhattan street is set to attend hearings on related Pennsylvania criminal charges and extradition proceedings to New York. The preliminary hearing on forgery and firearms charges against the suspect may be brief, as he is expected to waive extradition, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The suspect, accused of the killing, is scheduled to appear at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg for the early morning proceedings. If authorized, he will be extradited to New York, where he faces charges of murder as an act of terrorism in connection with the incident.
The district attorney in Blair County, Pennsylvania, expressed readiness to pause the Pennsylvania charges while New York authorities prosecute the suspect for the December 4th homicide of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. The suspect was apprehended in Pennsylvania after being reported to match the description of the perpetrator.
Authorities allege that the suspect was found in possession of the firearm used in the killing, a fake ID, a passport, and a significant amount of cash. His defense attorney has raised questions about the evidence for the forgery charge and the legal basis for the gun charge.
The suspect, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was carrying a handwritten letter criticizing health insurance companies as 'parasitic' and denouncing corporate greed. The suspect's lawyer had previously indicated plans to contest extradition to New York while in custody in Pennsylvania.
The suspect's appearance in New York state court for arraignment is anticipated to occur either Thursday afternoon or Friday, pending the outcome of the extradition proceedings.
