Luigi Mangione, the suspect charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, broke his silence outside a Pennsylvania courthouse, challenging his arrest and the intelligence of the American people. Mangione, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, appeared unfazed as he was escorted into the courthouse with a detail of 10 officers.
Prosecutors say Mangione was found with $8,000 in U.S. cash, $2,000 in foreign cash, masks, and a passport when he was apprehended by police in Altoona on Monday. He was also found with a “ghost gun” with a silencer resembling the weapon used to kill Thompson.
Mangione’s attorney, Thomas Dickey, argued that his client had masks because “some people still have the COVID fear.” Dickey also requested bail, but Mangione was denied and will remain incarcerated until his attorney files a writ of habeas corpus, challenging whether he is being lawfully detained.
Mangione’s attorneys have 14 days to file the document. Meanwhile, Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks said that Mangione’s New York charges “take precedent” over those in Pennsylvania, and that his office will do whatever they can to facilitate the suspect’s extradition.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said that his office may seek a governor’s warrant to extradite Mangione back to New York, which would take 30 days. Mangione was taken into custody after he was recognized by an observant patron at an area McDonald’s, and he refused to speak with investigators on Monday.
