Luigi Mangione has hired a New York lawyer to defend against second-degree murder charges in the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s death, as CNN reports.
His legal representation will be handled by Karen Friedman Agnifilo in New York. She previously served as chief assistant district attorney in Manhattan’s District Attorney’s Office under Cyrus Vance Jr for seven years, bringing substantial experience in New York City’s criminal justice system. Since 2021, she has worked in private practice.
“She’s got as much experience as any human being, especially in the state court,” one longtime New York prosecutor told CNN. “She knows every corridor, every judge, every clerk in the courthouse.”
Interestingly, her husband Marc Agnifilo, represents rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Who is Friedman Agnifilo?
According to her online biography, Friedman Agnifilo worked at the New York City office for seven years under then-District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. While there, she played “a critical leadership role in prosecuting high-profile violent crime cases, including complex cases involving a mental health component, as well as cold case homicides,” her biography says.
She also worked as chief legal analyst for CNN, which first reported the news that Mangione had hired her.
What evidence led to murder charges?
As Mangione’s new counsel takes charge, investigators have gathered additional evidence. Police confirmed to CNN that the 3D-printed gun found in his possession matches three shell casings from the Midtown Manhattan crime scene. Additionally, his fingerprints correspond with those found near the location.
These revelations emerge as Mangione remains in Pennsylvania custody on gun-related charges whilst contesting extradition to New York. According to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, there are indications Mangione might waive his extradition next week.
Pennsylvania Judge Dave Consiglio denied Mangione bail on Tuesday for both state dockets, ordering his continued detention at Huntingdon State Correctional Institution.
Additional charges against Mangione include document forgery and illegal firearm possession.
His Pennsylvania lawyer, Thomas Dickey, has not disclosed whether Mangione’s prominent Baltimore family is funding his legal defense, though he mentioned public offers of contribution.
Whilst Mangione contests extradition, a Pennsylvania court has granted him 14 days to file for writ of habeas corpus. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has committed to working with prosecutors, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stands ready to process the necessary documentation.
Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks confirmed his office’s readiness to facilitate Mangione’s return to New York.
Dickey maintains his client’s innocence regarding the New York killing and expects not-guilty pleas for both the murder charge and Pennsylvania charges concerning a firearm and false identification found during his Altoona arrest.
According to an NYPD intelligence report obtained by CNN, the suspect appeared motivated by opposition to the health insurance industry and “corporate greed”.
“He appeared to view the targeted killing of the company’s highest-ranking representative as a symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to its alleged corruption and ‘power games,’ asserting in his note he is the ‘first to face it with such brutal honesty, ‘” states the NYPD assessment, based on Mangione’s “manifesto” and social media.
Investigators are examining both a three-page handwritten “claim of responsibility” found on Mangione during arrest and his writings in a spiral notebook, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the case.
