Luigi Mangione Faces Extradition, Possible Federal Charges May Carry Death Penalty

Murder suspect Luigi Mangione faces extradition to New York after his arrest in connection with the death of UnitedHealthcare‘s CEO. After previously fighting a transfer back to New York, he is expected to waive his extradition Thursday.

What Happened: Mangione, who was recently charged with murder in the first degree, will appear in court Thursday in the state of Pennsylvania.

Charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Mangione is expected to waive extradition to New York, according to his attorney, ABC News reported.

On Thursday, a Pennsylvania judge will be asked to accept the extradition waiver or move forward with a hearing on Mangione's charges in the state, which center on weapons, including the ghost gun found when he was arrested at an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald’s.

If the judge agrees to the extradition, Mangione would be transported back to the state of New York by the New York Police Department. The murder suspect could be arraigned in New York as early as Thursday.

Mangione faces 11 counts in the state of New York including a murder in the first degree charge that carries a sentence of up to life in prison without parole if convicted and two charges of murder in the second degree, including one charge related to terrorism.

The indictment is “for the brazen, targeted and premeditated shooting of Brian Thompson,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said recently after reading off the charges.

Law enforcement said Mangione could also face federal charges in New York, which could lead to him being eligible for the death penalty if found guilty.

Mangione's lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said they are ready to fight the charges in a statement reported by ABC news.

"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," Agnifilo said.

Read Also: UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder Suspect: Chronic Pain, Unabomber Fascination, Isolation Details Emerge

Why It's Important: The death of Thompson, who led the UnitedHealth Group UNH-owned insurance unit, has sparked a large following for Mangione, with some members of the public voicing sympathy and supporting his cause of taking on the health insurance sector.

Outside the Pennsylvania courthouse are supporters with signs with words like "Free Luigi," "Murder for Profit is Terrorism" and "Deny, Defend, Depose."

Mangione’s arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s triggered a rise in negative reviews for the location, accusing the restaurant employees and patrons of being snitches.

Public sympathy for Mangione can be found on social media. On a Joe Rogan podcast episode, the host said the health insurance sector is a “dirty business.”

Rogan suggested UnitedHealthcare’s alleged high claim denial rate may have been a reason why the public is not showing sympathy for Thompson.

A manifesto document found on Mangione reportedly contained comments about health insurance companies focusing on profits and greed over public health.

Benzinga recently reported there are at least three documentaries in the works on the life of Mangione and the health insurance industry. ABC, which is a unit of The Walt Disney Company DIS, is airing a special edition of "20/20" at 10 p.m. ET Thursday. The episode will look at the death of Thompson, the search for Mangione and more on the suspected killer's life.

UNH Price Action: UnitedHealth stock trades at $503.91 in premarket trading Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $436.38 to $630.73. The stock is down 13% over the last month and down 7% year-to-date in 2024.

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Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania State Police.