Suspect in CEO murder said to have hired former top New York prosecutor
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Luigi Mangione being escorted by police to his arraignment at the Blair County Courthouse in Pennsylvania on Dec 9.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
Follow topic:
NEW YORK – Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of a UnitedHealth Group executive, is said to have hired former veteran Manhattan prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo to defend him on New York murder charges.
Ms Friedman Agnifilo was recently contacted by representatives of Mangione’s family, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information is not public.
Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania this week after a five-day manhunt following the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson
The New York authorities said they have built a strong case against the 26-year-old suspect, including linking spent shell casings recovered from the crime scene to a semi-automatic pistol he was carrying at the time of his arrest.
Ms Friedman Agnifilo has spent decades working in New York City’s criminal justice system. She previously served as chief assistant district attorney for seven years for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and went into private practice in 2021.
She recently joined the law firm launched earlier in 2024 by her husband Marc Agnifilo.
Ms Friedman Agnifilo did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment about the Mangione case.
In an unsealed arrest warrant, the New York authorities accused Mangione of murder and weapons offences. In a court hearing on Dec 10 in Pennsylvania, Mangione contested any request to move him to New York.
On Dec 13, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said there is a possibility that Mangione will now agree to be transferred to New York to face murder and other charges.
“Indications are that the defendant may waive, but that waiver is not complete until a court proceeding, which, from my understanding from court officials in Pennsylvania, cannot happen until Tuesday,” Mr Bragg said.
“So until that time, we’re going to continue to press forward on parallel paths – whether he’s going to waive extradition or contest extradition.” BLOOMBERG
