Luigi Mangione retained high-profile attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo to defend him after he was accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
And members of the public dug deep to help Mangione to cover her fees.
Friedman Agnifilo previously worked at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, serving as the chief assistant district attorney for seven years, before moving to private practice in 2021. Mangione, who faces a second-degree murder charge in New York as well as firearm charges in Pennsylvania, hired the former Manhattan prosecutor to represent him in New York.
The 26-year-old suspect has been held in a Pennsylvania jail since his arrest last Monday following a six-day manhunt.
Thomas Dickey, an attorney representing Mangione in Pennsylvania, has said that Mangione plans to contest his extradition to New York.
But Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said Friday there are “indications” he may waive his right to fight extradition.
“Indications are that the defendant may waive, but that waiver is not complete until a court proceeding, which my understanding from court officials in Pennsylvania cannot happen until Tuesday,” Bragg said.
The revelation comes as Mangione’s supporters continue to donate thousands of dollars for his “defense” fund. The anonymous fund “December 4th Legal Committee” collected more than $130,000 in donation pledge on the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo by Monday afternoon.
Who is Karen Friedman Agnifilo?
Mangione hired Karen Friedman Agnifilo to represent him in New York.
She is a veteran of New York City’s criminal justice system, having worked in criminal justice, litigation and trials for three decades, after graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Georgetown University Law Center.
The majority of her career was spent as a public servant, working at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, including as its chief assistant district attorney.
She worked as second-in-command under DA Cyrus Vance for seven years, from 2014 to 2021, having previously served as chief of the office’s trial division for four years.
Ms Agnifilo has also been general counsel to the New York City mayor’s office’s criminal justice coordinator, where she worked for Michael Bloomberg, who was mayor at the time, on overhauling the city’s criminal justice policy.
She has been in private practice since 2021, and is currently partner at Agnifilo Intrater LLP.
Read the full story here.
Kelly Rissman16 December 2024 22:30
Mangione allegedly suffered from chronic pain. It’s a problem plaguing more than one-third of Americans
Luigi Mangione, the alleged perpetrator in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly suffered from chronic back pain.
Posts on the content-sharing platform Reddit under the now-defunct username “Mister_Cactus” appeared to reference the 26-year-old’s extensive health problems. The user referred to “spondy,” which is commonly known as spondylolisthesis.
Spondylolisthesis is a condition caused by a vertebra slipping out of place and putting pressure on the bones below. While it commonly occurs in older adults due to a type of arthritis, a common disease that causes joint inflammation and stiffness, it can also be brought on by trauma, spinal destabilization, bone disease, or a birth defect.
Julia Musto has the full story.
Kelly Rissman16 December 2024 21:00
ICYMI: Luigi Mangione’s mugshot emblazoned on stickers and t-shirts after murder charge
Kelly Rissman16 December 2024 19:30
Donations for Luigi Mangione’s ‘defense fund’ surpass $100,000
Luigi Mangione supporters have donated tens of thousands of dollars to “defense funds” set up for him after he was arrested on suspicion of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The anonymous fund “December 4th Legal Committee” surpassed more than $100,000 in donations on the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo by Sunday morning.
The group’s name is an apparent reference to the day the 26-year-old allegedly gunned down the healthcare executive on a busy Manhattan street.
Kelly Rissman16 December 2024 18:00
Sen. Bernie Sanders says CEO murder came amid people’s anger ‘rising up’ over health insurance denials
Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who has campaigned for a national healthcare system, has said the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s shooting underscores people’s frustration with the industry.
Sanders, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, made the remarks on Meet the Press on Sunday morning.
“What I think has happened in the last few months is that what you have seen rising up is people’s anger at a health insurance industry, which denies people the health care that they desperately need while they make billions and billions of dollars in profit,” the senator told the show’s host Kristen Welker in response to a question about whether now is the right time to be discussing health insurance policy.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder, allegedly gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 in New York City. He was arrested days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. At the time, police said they found a handwritten manifesto on him outlining his motive.
Kelly Rissman16 December 2024 16:30
Luigi Mangione fans baffle SNL’s unhinged Nancy Grace
Saturday Night Live jumped into the nation’s morbid fascination with Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The cold open kicked off with Sarah Sherman’s incredulous true crime entertainer Nancy Grace, who complained that “women and gay guys alike” have made Mangione into a “sex symbol.”
She said Mangione looked like “Dave Franco with Eugene Levy’s eyebrows.”
Graig Graziosi has the story.
James Liddell16 December 2024 16:00
McDonald’s worker may see a reward for calling in tip
The manhunt for the masked gunman suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 came to an end after six days when Larry, a McDonald’s employee, called 911, saying he recognized a customer nibbling on hashbrowns from the photos circulated by NYPD. Now, that worker is eligible to collect tens of thousands of dollars in reward money.
Mangione, 26, has been charged with second-degree murder in New York in connection to Thompson’s death. He also faces gun charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested.
The FBI was offering up to $50,000 and NYPD Crime Stoppers was offering $10,000 for information that led to an arrest or conviction.
“The individual in Pennsylvania, who called in a tip, is eligible to receive the reward,” the Police Foundation board said in a statement Wednesday.
Since most rewards require a conviction, Larry might have to wait until a trial completes, which could take a year or more, the Associated Press reported.
James Liddell16 December 2024 15:00
Anchor interviews inmates at Mangione’s jail
A TV anchor managed to interview men at the alleged shooter’s jail as they watched her program from their cells.
Mangione is at a state correctional facility in Huntingdon. The prisoners there complained about their living conditions and meals by screaming yes or no to the anchor’s questions.
Watch the interaction here:
Michelle Del Rey16 December 2024 14:00
What has Mangione’s family said in the wake of his arrest?
Luigi Mangione’s family couldn’t merely afford medical care. They could afford to donate more than $1 million of their own money to healthcare.
That’s according to a report Monday from The Baltimore Banner, which chronicles the wealthy family history of the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Following the news of Mangione’s arrest Monday, his family released a statement saying they were “shocked.”
Io Dodds has the full story.
James Liddell16 December 2024 13:00
Who is Karen Friedman Agnifilo?
Here, The Independent takes a look at what we know about Ms Agnifilo:
Michelle Del Rey16 December 2024 12:00