Prime suspect Luigi Mangione has enlisted high-profile New York attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo to represent him as he faces a second-degree murder charge in the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Friedman Agnifilo, a seasoned lawyer with extensive experience in New York’s criminal justice system, previously served as the chief assistant district attorney in Manhattan under Cyrus Vance Jr. for seven years. She has been in private practice since 2021.
“She’s got as much experience as any human being, especially in the state court,” a veteran New York prosecutor told CNN. “She knows every corridor, every judge, every clerk in the courthouse.”
Friedman Agnifilo’s involvement comes as investigators reveal new evidence tying Mangione to the crime.
Police explained that at a 3D-printed firearm found on Mangione during his arrest matches the shell casings recovered from the Midtown Manhattan crime scene.
Additionally, Mangione’s fingerprints were found on items located near the scene.
Mangione, who remains in custody in Pennsylvania on firearm-related charges, is resisting extradition to New York.
However, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicated Mangione “may waive” extradition proceedings next week.
Currently housed at the Huntingdon State Correctional Institution, Mangione was denied bail by Pennsylvania Judge Dave Consiglio, who ruled on Tuesday that he would remain in custody.
Mangione, escorted into the Blair County Courthouse on December 10, 2024, for an extradition hearing, is also facing four other charges, including forging documents and unlawful firearm possession.
His Pennsylvania attorney, Thomas Dickey, has not confirmed whether Mangione’s affluent Baltimore family is funding his defense, though he acknowledged that some members of the public have offered financial contributions.
Representatives for Friedman Agnifilo similarly declined to disclose the source of her legal fees.
Mangione has 14 days to file a writ of habeas corpus to challenge his detention in Pennsylvania. If he proceeds, a hearing will be scheduled.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania prosecutors have up to 30 days to obtain a governor’s warrant for Mangione’s extradition.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has expressed her willingness to collaborate with prosecutors on the matter, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is prepared to sign the warrant once it is received.
Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks affirmed his office’s readiness to ensure Mangione’s transfer to New York.
Dickey maintains his client’s innocence, anticipating Mangione will plead not guilty to both the New York murder charge and the Pennsylvania charges involving firearms and falsified identification.
He stated that Mangione plans to contest all allegations against him.
The NYPD, citing intelligence obtained during the investigation, suggests Mangione was motivated by deep-seated anger toward the health insurance industry and what he perceived as “corporate greed.” According to an NYPD assessment reviewed by CNN, Mangione saw the murder of Thompson as a “symbolic takedown” of alleged corruption within the industry.
“He appeared to view the targeted killing of the company’s highest-ranking representative as a symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to its alleged corruption and ‘power games,’ asserting in his note he is the ‘first to face it with such brutal honesty,’” the assessment stated. The analysis is based on a handwritten manifesto and Mangione’s social media activity.
Investigators are also scrutinizing a spiral notebook and a three-page handwritten “claim of responsibility” found on Mangione at the time of his arrest.
These writings are expected to play a significant role in the prosecution’s case, according to law enforcement sources.
