Suspected assassin Luigi Mangione returns to a New York criminal court Friday for a hearing in connection with state murder and terrorism charges in a sprawling case surrounding the assassination-style murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan.
The 26-year-old former Ivy Leaguer is accused of stalking Thompson, a married father of two, and shooting him in the back outside a shareholder conference in early December, in an alleged attack that investigators have painted as cold-blooded and premeditated.
Many of his defenders have been quick to note he is considered innocent until proven guilty in the eyes of the law. But his significant support is prompting concerns of potential jury nullification — when jurors deliver a verdict based on ideology rather than the law.
“Jury selection is going to be critical in Mangione’s case,” said Edwina Elcox, a Boise-based defense attorney whose former clients have included the so-called “Cult Mom” Lori Vallow. “He is viewed as a modern-day Robin Hood.”
LUIGI MANGIONE SUPPORTERS WHINE ABOUT SUSPECTED CEO ASSASSIN’S PORTRAYAL IN ‘CORPORATE BACKED NARRATIVE’
A surveillance image released by the NYPD shows the suspect in the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. The suspect can be seen approaching Thompson from behind and shooting him multiple times before walking away from the scene.
Donations to his legal defense fund have surpassed $500,000 — racking in more than $200,000 over the past 10 days, when supporters touted nearing the $300,000 milestone with the help of more than 10,000 donors. Some proponents have even described him as a “humanitarian.”
“It’s a fascinating case,” Elcox told Digital. “The CEO was a terribly unsympathetic figurehead of a company that has droves of horror stories about how [it] treated people who desperately needed various medical interventions — juxtaposed against handsome, educated, talented young man with no criminal history.”
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Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City on December 23, 2024. Mangione is facing murder charges for allegedly shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
While both sides will likely focus heavily on voir dire, there’s still strong evidence in the case, said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector.
“Jury nullification could always be an issue, especially with how this kid has come to encapsulate so many progressive gripes against corporations and the insurance industry, but I don’t think even Manhattan criminal justice has been that completely defanged,” he told Digital. “Yes, this is the venue that got us Alvin Bragg, but this is also the venue in which 12 ordinary New Yorkers acquitted Daniel Penny.”
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The case looks “very strong” at this stage, he said, and he expects jurors to weigh evidence responsibly.
“And anyone who thinks jury nullification is a good idea, I would only remind them that there is a federal death penalty case against Mangione lurking behind Bragg’s case, should the feds need to bring it,” he added.
Mangione faces three separate criminal proceedings, in New York, Pennsylvania, and federal court.
