On December 10, 2024, Luigi Mangione, 26, a suspect in the murder of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson in New York City, arrived in Hollidays, Pennsylvania, United States Fort Blair County Court for an extradition hearing.
Matthew Hatcher | Reuters
Luigi Mangione Recruited prominent attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo to represent him on New York State charges UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson murdered.
The firm, Agnifilo Intrater LLC, confirmed Friedman Agnifilo will represent him but declined further comment.
“She will not be making any statements at this time,” the company said in a statement.
Friedman Agnifilo served as chief assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office under Cyrus Vance Jr. for seven years. She also served for four years as chief of the office’s trial division.
Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday in Altoona, Pa., ending a daylong manhunt for the gunman after he was found eating at a McDonald’s restaurant with a backpack containing evidence that authorities said linked him to Thompson’s shooting.
Mangione was born into a prominent Baltimore family. Charged with one count of murder in New Yorkthree counts of unlawful possession of a weapon and one count of unlawful possession of a forged instrument.
He also Tried in Pennsylvania two felony charges of forgery and carrying a firearm without a license, and three misdemeanor charges of tampering with records or identification, possession of instruments of crime and providing false identification to law enforcement.
Mangione remains in his cell at Huntington State Correctional Facility and is fighting extradition to New York. A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said he is currently unable to watch television, interact with other inmates or eat in his cell.
After being arrested, Online fundraiser to support Mangione surfaces. At least three fundraisers appeared on GoFundMe but have since been removed. GoFundMe said it was refunding donors who contributed to the campaigns and said its terms of service prohibited raising funds for legal defense of violent crimes.
Another crowdfunding platform, GiveSendGo, has not yet canceled its fundraiser for Mangione’s legal defense. As of Saturday morning, the fundraiser had raised more than $94,000, which the fundraiser said was “not a celebration of violence, but of our belief in the constitutional right to fair legal representation.” The fundraiser’s goal is $200,000.
It’s unclear whether the donations will help pay Mangione’s attorney fees. His family could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Pennsylvania attorney Thomas Dickey said he had seen no evidence linking his client to the murder, and Mangione will plead not guilty to the two state charges.
Dickey and Friedman Agnifilo could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday.
