The suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is in court in Pennsylvania for two hearings.
One hearing focused on the charges Luigi Mangione is facing in the Keystone State, the other will concern his extradition to New York, CNN reported.
Federal charges
Update 10:48 a.m. ET, Dec. 19: Federal charges against Mangione are expected to be unsealed Thursday. Multiple law enforcement sources told CNN that they believe the charges will be stalking murder and using a silencer in a crime of violence.
In NYPD custody
Update 10:44 a.m. ET, Dec. 19: Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks told reporters, “Because of the defendant’s reversal today and decision to waive his preliminary hearing as well as his extradition, certainly we believe it’s in the interests of justice to turn him over to the New York City police department and Manhattan district attorney’s office, which we did.”
“He is now in their custody. He will go forth with New York to await trial or prosecution for his homicide and related charges in New York. We intend to keep our case active and we intend to essentially revisit the case when the defendant is available for prosecution in Blair County,” Weeks added, The Associated Press reported.
CNN reported on air that Mangione was taken to an airplane and will be flown to New York.
During the hearing however, CNN reported that Mangione was calm while attorneys from both sides worked on the legal paperwork. At times, Mangione was smiling and chatting with sheriff’s deputies, but most of the time kept his head down and was either reading or writing.
Extradition waived
Update 10:07 a.m. ET, Dec. 19: Mangione formally waived extradition and will be on his way to New York to face his charges there.
Original report: Mangione is charged in Pennsylvania with forgery and firearms violations and has been held there since he was arrested in the small city of Altoona, a week after the Dec. 4 murder of Thompson.
Thompson was gunned down outside of a New York City hotel on his way to United Healthcare’s annual investor conference, The Associated Press reported.
He will not fight his extradition to New York, his attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. Earlier the attorney representing him in Pennsylvania, Thomas Dickey, said that Mangione would fight being returned to The Empire State.
Mangione was being held at the State Correctional Institution Huntingdon.
In addition to the charges he faces in Pennsylvania, he is charged with 11 counts related to Thompson’s death including murder in the first degree and murder in the second degree, CNN reported. He is also charged with murder as an act of terrorism, the AP reported. The post-9/11 law allows for harsher sentences when someone is killed with the intent of terrifying people or influencing the government.
Unlike his previous appearance in court, Mangione was silent when he entered the Blair County Courthouse. The last time he appeared, he yelled to awaiting media, saying “Completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people,” USA Today reported.
In addition to the charges in Pennsylvania and New York, federal charges are expected to be filed against Mangione. Friedman Agnifilo released a statement saying, “The federal government’s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns. We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought,” ABC News reported.
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