UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect contests extradition to NY

The suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealth Group Inc. executive Brian Thompson is fighting extradition from Pennsylvania to New York, where he faces a second-degree murder charge.

In a court hearing Tuesday in Pennsylvania, Luigi Mangione’s lawyer said that he will contest any request to move him to New York. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a five-day manhunt following the Dec. 4 attack in Manhattan on Thompson.

“My client is not waiving extradition here today,” said Thomas M. Dickey, a lawyer representing Mangione.

The 26-year-old is charged in the shooting of Thompson, 50, outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan as he walked to where UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual investor conference. 

Authorities in Pennsylvania charged Mangione for carrying an unlicensed gun and presenting fake identification. Meanwhile, New York authorities also charged him with murder and weapons offenses and unsealed an arrest warrant for him. 

The process of bringing Mangione to New York began when the New York Police Department issued an arrest warrant for him, hours after officers arrested him in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was charged in Pennsylvania with crimes including carrying an unlicensed gun and fake identification. Court documents posted on Monday indicated that he faces New York charges of murder, criminal possession of a weapon and possession of a forged document.

In New York, a conviction for second-degree murder carries a sentence ranging from 15 to 25 years to life in prison. The charge is a Class A felony, the most serious type of crime under New York state law, and is defined as an intentional killing that shows “depraved indifference to human life.”

Identified Suspect

Thompson died of a gunshot wound to his torso, according to the warrant released Tuesday by New York officials. In the document, authorities alleged Mangione was the person seen on surveillance video “shooting and killing” Thompson. They also identified him as the individual seen in photos across New York around the time of the shooting. 

Mangione also had “written admissions about the crime” in his possession at the time of his arrest Monday, according to the arrest warrant.

The Tuesday hearing in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania is scheduled for 1:30pm local time. On Monday, Mangione wasn’t represented by a lawyer during a preliminary arraignment and was advised of the process for securing a public defender. He was advised of the state’s charges and didn’t enter a plea, Stacey Witalec, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania courts system said.

He is being held in the Blair County Prison without bail pending a Dec. 23 court hearing before Judge Benjamin F. Jones, unless he is extradited first. 

Extradition Process

Mangione could speed up the extradition process if he agrees to be sent to New York. If he decides to fight extradition, it could take weeks.

“Depending on whether or not Mr. Mangione waives extradition and agrees to be brought to New York, he could be in New York state court by the end of this week,” said Marvyn Kornberg, a veteran criminal defense lawyer. 

At the Dec. 23 hearing, prosecutors must show enough evidence that a crime was committed and that Mangione committed the offense. That process could move faster, depending on the extradition process. 

If he waives the process, Mangione would be taken into custody by the NYPD and brought to New York. He would be arraigned before a state judge, where he would enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. 

Grand Jury

The Manhattan district attorney’s office would then present evidence in secret to a group of about 16 to 23 people, known as a grand jury. The panel will hear testimony from witnesses, see evidence offered by prosecutors and vote in secret on whether to charge Mangione in an indictment. 

The judge will also decide whether to grant bail, although it’s unlikely Mangione, who was arrested after a five-day manhunt by authorities, would be released.

The judge’s decision on bail depends on facts like the seriousness of the crime, a suspect’s prior criminal record, his ties to the community and whether he’s considered a danger to the community or a flight risk.

If he is denied bail, Mangione would probably be held in the notorious Rikers Island jail in New York. 

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