Luigi Mangione faces New York court over killing of CEO Brian Thompson

Summary

Luigi Mangione has appeared at a New York City courthouse, charged with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
He arrived shackled and wearing a bulletproof vest, with at least six security guards surrounding him
Mangione's lawyer said he has been a "model prisoner" and asked for his shackles to be removed, to which the judge refused
Mangione's supporters were both inside and outside the courtroom, and shouts could be heard throughout the roughly 30-minute hearing
It was the first court appearance for Mangione since December, when he pleaded not guilty to murder and terrorism charges
Prosecutors allege Mangione shot Thompson, a father of two, outside a hotel in Manhattan before going on the run. He was arrested five days later while eating at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania
The killing of Thompson, who led a major health insurance company, caused anger among many Americans against the trillion-dollar industry

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Watch: Luigi Mangione arrives at court surrounded by security

Live Reporting

Edited by Brandon Livesay in New York with Madeline Halpert and Nada Tawfik reporting from court

Today was not your regular day in courtpublished at 22:09 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court
Outside of the courtroom, a group of people were chanting, “free, free Luigi” and “no more death by denial,” a clear reference to the health insurance industry.
There has always been some level of public interest in court cases, that has been true for as long as I’ve been covering high profile trials here in New York.
However the fascination with Luigi Mangione speaks to something else entirely currently happening in the national psyche.
During the hearing, above the tapping of press typing and the legal sides speaking, we could hear the occasional cheer from outside the courtroom.
One woman, who was seated behind me, said she had travelled all the way from California to be there. Sierra, who didn’t want to share her last name, said she has watched four documentaries on Mangione and is concerned he won’t get a fair trial.
That is something his lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo also raised.
She said her main focus right now is talking to the federal government about the death penalty hanging over her client’s head.
The main purpose of this hearing was to discuss the schedule for the trial moving forward. Prosecutors discussed how much evidence they have turned over so far - previously they said they had never seen a case with such a high volume.
Were now closing our live coverage of Mangione's court appearance. For more on this story, read my colleague Madeline Halpert and I's round-up of today's proceedings:
- Shackled Luigi Mangione in packed court over healthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killing
Artist sketches today's court scenepublished at 21:49 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Image source, Jane Rosenberg / Reuters
Courtroom artist Jane Rosenberg has just shared her sketch from today in the Manhattan courtroom.
It shows Mangione wearing a protective vest, with his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo standing beside him.
In pictures: Luigi Mangione's court appearancepublished at 21:10 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of US health insurance CEO Brian Thompson, is pictured sitting next to his attorney in court. He wore a bulletproof vest and his hands and feet were shackled throughout the hearing
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
At least 100 members of the public were present in the courtroom, many appeared to be supporters of the defendant
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Activist and whistleblower Chelsea Manning was one of those in court to follow proceedings
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Outside there were crowds of demonstrators holding signs that either supported Mangione, or protested against the health insurance industry
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
And several trucks with Mangione's face on them circled the courthouse
Listen: The Mangione Trial podcastpublished at 20:42 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
If you're wanting to delve further into the details of the Mangione case, you can check out our podcast series covering the trial.
Episode one covers exactly what has happened so far, and Luigi Mangione and Brian Thompson's backgrounds.
The BBC's Nada Tawfik, who has been in court covering proceedings today, is recording a new episode right now - so stay on the lookout for that.
In the meantime, you can watch the first episode on YouTube, external now. And you can listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Lawyer claims HBO documentary showed evidence she has not seenpublished at 20:14 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Agnifilo continues going over comments she made in court moments ago, and again brings up a HBO documentary on the Mangione case.
The lawyer says a New York Police Department official and Mayor of New York Eric Adams were featured talking about the case, and an actor playing Mangione was filmed reading a journal alleged to be his. Agnifilo claims she has not yet seen that evidence.
She finishes her statement without taking questions, but does say: "Luigi really wanted to thank the supporters for being here", referencing the large crowds that have gathered at the courthouse this afternoon.
Lawyer says Mangione is being 'treated differently'published at 20:04 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Media caption,
Watch: Luigi Mangione's lawyer speaks outside court
Luigi Mangione's lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo is now speaking outside court. She says it was not her intention to give a press conference, but says she wants people to know what she said in court.
Agnifilo says Mangione was wearing a "very serious vest" and was shackled. It has made it hard to speak to her client, she says.
The lawyer adds that when she speaks to her client in custody, she sits in a room together with him and he has no shackles on.
"He is being treated differently," she says.
You can follow her remarks by clicking watch live at the top of the page.
Mangione leaves courtpublished at 19:48 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court
Image source, Reuters
The hearing has just concluded after about 30 minutes, and Mangione has left court.
The court officer asks for "no outbursts" as he walks out the door, occasionally glancing at members of the press and public in the audience.
The judge meets with lawyers at the bench but did not announce any resolutions to the court.
Mangione's lawyer claims prosecutors are 'hanging death penalty' over his headpublished at 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court
Image source, Getty Images
Mangione's lawyer is continuing to argue that he is being treated differently than other defendants by being tried in three separate cases and held in federal jail. She says he should be able to sit in court unshackled and speak with his lawyers more regularly.
The judge says he doesn't have a problem placing Mangione in state as opposed to federal custody.
Prosecutors say the agreement is that the state will try their case first, but he will be held in federal custody, in "consent" with Mangione's legal team.
"When they're hanging the death penalty over your head, you have no choice but to consent," Mangione's lawyer says.
Judge says motions must be in by 9 Aprilpublished at 19:40 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Mangione's lawyer has just given a long speech about how her client's right to a fair trial is "continuing to be impacted".
She claims that the chief New York City detective on the case and the mayor sat down with HBO, a US television network, to talk about evidence that even his legal team has not received.
The judge cuts her off and says her legal team must submit motions by 9 April.
Mangione's lawyer objects to prosecutors' schedulepublished at 19:38 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court
Mangione's lawyer, Agnifilo, is continuing to object to prosecutors' proposed schedule for pre-trial motions.
She says her legal team needs more time while they talk to federal prosecutors about whether they will try to seek the death penalty in the separate case. It's a very "serious" situation, she notes.
"That is one of the reasons why this discovery is so critical," she tells the judge.
Prosecutors go over evidence as protesters shout outside courtroompublished at 19:34 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court
Prosecutors are now going over some of the evidence they plan to use in the case, including DNA evidence, police reports and photographs from the scenes of the crime, body camera footage, phone records and other materials.
Mangione looks directly at the attorneys and the judge as they go over the schedule for pre-trial motions.
Mangione's lawyer says she objects to the motion schedule from prosecutors. She says her team has yet to receive copies of many records in the three cases against Mangione - the state case in New York, a federal case, and a Pennsylvania case.
While they discuss, loud shouts from protesters can be heard from outside the courtroom.
Mangione's lawyer says suspect is a 'model prisoner'published at 19:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Mangione's lawyer is now arguing before the court why she thinks his arms and legs should not be shackled.
"This is a highly publicised and photographed court proceeding with strong public interest," the lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, says. She adds that the shackles imply that there is "no presumption of innocence" for Mangione.
"He is a model prisoner ... there has not been an issue," she says.
The judge says security personnel in court prefer he be shackled.
Mangione enters courtroom wearing bulletproof vestpublished at 19:26 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Breaking
Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court
Media caption,
Watch: Luigi Mangione arrives at court surrounded by security
Luigi Mangione has just entered the courtroom for the start of the hearing.
He's wearing a green sweater and white shirt and is wearing a bulletproof vest.
At least six security guards surround him.
Mangione's lawyer asks for the suspect to be allowed to be unshackled for the hearing.
Image source, Reuters
More members of public enter courtroompublished at 19:23 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court
They have just let roughly 20 members of the public into the courtroom.
Many of them - mostly young people - are wearing green - like the protesters supporting Mangione outside the courthouse.
Mangione's hearing had been scheduled to start about five minutes ago now, but we're still waiting for him to arrive.
As a reminder, you can click watch live at the top of this page to watch for Mangione's arrival.
Reporters and public file into courtpublished at 19:05 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court
After a long wait in the hallway with dozens of reporters and at least 100 members of the public, we've just been seated in court.
It's the same room where President Donald Trump was on criminal trial just last year - but this time, much brighter, as the window shades are not drawn like they were then for security purposes.
Mangione is expected to appear in the room soon.
Mangione to arrive shortlypublished at 19:02 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Today's court hearing is expected to start at 14:15 ET (19:15 GMT).
We're still waiting for Luigi Mangione to arrive at the New York courtroom- you can watch along by pressing the watch live button at the top of this page.
'What a joke', court officer says as supporters cheer Mangione's lawyerpublished at 18:49 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court
Image source, Reuters
Luigi Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, and her team were just led into the courtroom from the hallway.
Her presence here elicited a large cheer and applause by Mangione’s supporters - some wearing face masks and green Luigi hats, from the Super Mario video game franchise.
A court officer told her team, “attorneys come in so we don’t have any more cheering”.
He muttered, “what a joke,” at the spectacle.
The BBC asked her for comment on the case and her reception on her way in, but she didn’t respond.
Police, FBI and New York's mayor escorted Mangione after extraditionpublished at 18:43 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
After being extradited from Pennsyvania back in December, Mangione was escorted via New York Police Department helicopter to Manhattan.
Wearing an orange jumpsuit, he was flanked by a mass of police officers, FBI agents, and New York officials as he stepped off the helicopter. Also present was New York Mayor Eric Adams.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Getty Images
How Mangione's arrest unfoldedpublished at 18:42 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
On 4 December 2024, UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive, Brian Thompson, was shot and killed outside a hotel in Manhattan.
A high-profile manhunt followed, with police releasing photographs of a person wanted for questioning in relation to the killing.
Five days later, Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania - about 280 miles (450km) west of New York City.
An employee called the police after a customer at the fast-food outlet recognised Mangione from the photos released by authorities.
Mangione was allegedly carrying a so-called ghost gun, multiple fake IDs, and cash at the time of his arrest.
He has pleaded not guilty to charges.
Mass interest in murder casepublished at 18:32 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court
Image source, Nada Tawfik / BBC
Image caption,
People queue outside the courtroom ahead of Luigi Mangione's hearing
The sheer number of press outlets and members of the general public present for this hearing is striking.
It’s a vivid reminder of the intense interest in this case and the suspect, Luigi Mangione.
Officials have spoken out about their dismay that he is being praised like some sort of a folk hero.
Afterall, he is accused of carrying out a targeted and calculated killing.
Some of his supporters are in line trying to get a glimpse of him when he enters the courthouse.
Some are even spelling out his name with their hands.