Luigi Mangione, the 26 -year -old man accused of killing the CEO of UnitedHaalthcare, Brian Thompson, in front of a hotel in New York City, appeared in court on Friday for the first time since he was prosecuted in December by state murders and terrorist charges.
Mangione, who declared herself innocent, entered the Chamber of Manhattan’s court with shackles in her hands and feet. He wore a bulletproof vest on a green sweater, a white shirt and khaki pants.
Judge Gregory Caro denied a request to eliminate the shackles filed by the Mangione prison consultant, Craig Rothfeld.
Prosecutors began the hearing by listing the evidence they have sent to Mangione’s lawyers, including the images of the body of the body and the forensic doctor files. Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s main lawyer, said her team still needed more prosecutors.
Agnifilo later consulted in private with Mangione before he completed the audience. Car did not immediately establish a trial date.
No member of Mangione’s family was present for the audience.
In the period prior to the audience, dozens of Mangione supporters aligned outside, some from 4 am, hoping to obtain a seat inside the courtroom. At least one woman wore a scored scarf with “free mangoction” in large letters. Agnifilo was encouraged by a group of women when he arrived.
In a statement published this week on a website for their legal defense, Mangione thanked his fans and wrote: “I am overwhelmed by and grateful for all those who have written to me to share their stories and express their support.”
“Fire, this support has transcended political, racial and even class divisions,” added Mangione.
The murder of December 4 of Thompson outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan triggered a frantic five -day human hunt that attracted national attention and made Mangione a cultural avatar. The shooting surprised local residents and caused broader conversations about the American medical care industry.
Mangione was arrested in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9. Police said he had a gun similar to that used in the shooting, a silencer and a false identification.
It was also found with a three -page written document that referred to the health care industry and included the phrase “these parasites simply made it come,” said sources of application of the law to NBC News.
The New York Police detective chief Joseph Kenny said that the social networks and writings of Mangione indicate that he suffered a painful “injury that alters life” on his back.
Mangione, who is detained in a federal prison in Brooklyn, also faces federal charges that come with the possibility of the death penalty. Cases will advance on parallel tracks, according to prosecutors, although state charges are expected to be first trial.
The maximum sentence for state charges against Mangione is life imprisonment without probation.
At the hearing on Friday, Agnifilo said that the Department of Justice has refused to allow its client to be in state custody despite the fact that the state case advances first.
He also expressed concern about how the authorities obtained the weapon when his client was arrested in Pennsylvania, adding that search problems and seizures would be litigated during the trial.
