Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson in front of a New York City hotel, is scheduled to appear in court Friday for the first time since he was arraigned in December on state murder and terror charges.
The early-morning killing of Thompson set off a frantic five-day manhunt that drew national attention and turned Mangione into a cultural avatar. The killing shocked local residents and provoked wider conversations about the American health care industry.
Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty, is set for a hearing in state court in Manhattan, where prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to provide updates on the status of the case. Judge Gregory Carro will schedule pretrial motions and might set a trial date, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.
Dozens of Mangione supporters started lining up outside the courthouse around 4 a.m., hoping for a chance to be inside the room for the afternoon hearing. One woman wore a scarf emblazoned with “FREE MANGIONE” in large letters.
Thompson was shot dead outside a midtown Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4 while he was in town for an investors conference. The killing, captured in part on a security camera, took place just blocks from major tourist attractions such as Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Plaza.
Mangione, who is being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn, also faces federal charges that come with the possibility of the death penalty. The cases will move forward on parallel tracks, prosecutors have said, though the state charges are expected to go to trial first.
The maximum sentence for the state charges against Mangione is life in prison without parole.
In a statement posted this week on a website for his legal defense, Mangione said: “I am overwhelmed by — and grateful for — everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support.”
“Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions,” Mangione added.
Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9, capping off an intense manhunt. Police said he had a gun similar to the one used in the shooting, a silencer and a fake ID.
He was also found with a three-page handwritten document that referred to the health care industry and included the phrase “these parasites simply had it coming,” law enforcement sources have told NBC News.
New York Police Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny has said Mangione’s social media and writings indicate he suffered a painful “life-altering injury” to his back.
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