Mangione faces federal charges, death penalty in UnitedHealth executive's killing
April 17 (Reuters) - A federal grand jury has indicted Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering a UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N), opens new tab executive in New York last year, allowing prosecutors to seek the death penalty in his case, according to court filings on Thursday.
Mangione, 26, is already facing state murder and weapons charges in New York, which does not have the death penalty. The federal indictment does not include new charges but raises the stakes for Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to the state charges.
Mangione's lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan declined to comment.
The indictment means that a grand jury found probable cause to charge Mangione with murder, stalking and firearms offenses. A hearing in the federal case is scheduled for Friday in Manhattan federal court.
Mangione has asked a judge to prevent federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty. His lawyers in a filing last week said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's April 1 announcement that prosecutors would seek the death penalty was "unapologetically political" and breached government protocols for death penalty decisions.
If that bid fails and Mangione is convicted in the federal case, the jury would determine in a separate phase of the trial whether to recommend the death penalty. Any such recommendation must be unanimous, and the judge would be required to impose it.
Brian Thompson, the deceased CEO of UnitedHealth's insurance division, was shot dead on December 4 outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where the company was gathering for an investor conference.
The brazen killing of Thompson and ensuing five-day manhunt captivated Americans.
While public officials condemned the killing, some Americans have cheered Mangione, saying he drew attention to steep U.S. healthcare costs and the power of health insurers to refuse payment for some treatments. Mangione is currently being held in federal lockup in Brooklyn.
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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Moment tragic Bayesian yacht wreck is raised from depths after billionaire Mike Lynch, daughter & 5 others died on board
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the tragic moment the Bayesian superyacht wreckage is lifted from the depths of the sea - after seven people died when it sank off the coast of Sicily last summer. Tech tycoon Mike Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18, were among those on board the doomed vessel when it plummeted to the bottom of the Mediterranean. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 Floating crane ships Hebo LIFT 10 and Hebo LIFT 2 recover part of the Bayesian yacht, June 20 Credit: Reuters 10 The top of the passenger area of the superyacht Bayesian being lifted Credit: Reuters 10 The salvage operation began in May Credit: Reuters 10 Tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah died following the horror accident Credit: Darren Fletcher The vessel sunk in just 16 minutes after being hit by a violent downburst. Haunting images showed the Bayesian resurface for the first time in ten months after it sank in August 2024. A gruelling rescue operation near the fishing village of Porticello, Italy, to recover the £14million yacht has been going on since May. Bystanders watched in awe as the multimillion-pound ship rose to the top of the water as it was dragged up by one of Europe's biggest cranes. A spokesperson for the rescue operation firm said the yacht had been raised slowly from its position 165ft below the surface. The TMC Maritime official said they had been at work for the last three days to allow the steel lifting straps, slings and harnesses to be secured properly under the keel. The top of the passenger area of the Bayesian was visible on Friday, but not the entirety of the vessel. The huge £20million recovery undertaking has been plagued by delays and even more tragedy - after a diver working on the operation died last month. Robcornelis Maria Huijben Uiben, 39, died when working 160ft below the ocean alongside other workers - just days after recovery operations began. This has prompted some locals to believe that the sunken ship is "cursed". Captain describes horror moment Bayesian superyacht sank as 'big black triangle' went under & vessel vanished off radar A source with TMC Marine told MailOnline: "It was scheduled for Saturday but with the good weather and the accelerated progress things moved quickly on Friday and she was brought to the surface earlier than planned. "She will remain half submerged until Saturday when the final lift will take place and she will then be sailed to a specially built cradle on the dockside." Workmen were seen on the vessel's deck fixing guide lines as crews geared up for the next phase of the tricky recovery mission. When the wreck finally resurfaced, the Bayesian was missing its towering 236ft mast, which had been sliced off and left on the seabed to be hauled up later. Salvage teams said the mast had to be cut away so the yacht's hull could be tilted upright and brought to the surface. It comes after a bombshell report revealed the astonishing "vulnerability" of Mike Lynch's "unsinkable" Bayesian superyacht which led to its tragic demise. 10 Tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht sank because it was vulnerable to wind, a report claims Credit: EPA 10 Italian coastguards at the Bayesian wreckage Credit: Massimo Sestini/ugpix 10 After examining the sinking of the 180ft Bayesian off Sicily last year, investigators now say the ship was knocked over by 'extreme wind' and could not recover. And they confirmed the vessel's critical weakness was that the ship was vulnerable to wind. An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch said the yacht had a 'vulnerability' to lighter winds but the owner and crew would not have known. It added it had 'limited verified evidence' as the criminal probe in Italy had restricted its access. The major update comes amid the arduous salvage operation for the superyacht. Floating cranes, remote-controlled robots, and specialist divers amongst other marine experts have been brought in to recover the vessel. 10 Lynch, 59, died as the yacht sank Credit: Reuters 10 The Italian Coast Guard's Luigi Dattilo CP940 patrol vessel (left) assists Hebo Lift 2 (right) at the site Credit: AP 10 A Hebo Lift 10 crane, thought to be one of the most powerful in Europe, arrived in Sicily on Saturday, May 3, from Rotterdam. The first parts of tycoon Lynch's superyacht were raised from the seabed in late May Divers recovered the main boom and anchor of the ship nine months after it sank. A pole which holds the bottom of the sail on the 184ft yacht was also recovered. Billionaire Dr Lynch was celebrating being cleared of a massive fraud over the sale of Autonomy to computer giant Hewlett-Packard in 2011 when the Bayesian went down. The other victims were banker Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife Judy Bloomer, 71, as well as US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan chef Recaldo Thomas. A further 15 people were rescued.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE John Fetterman slams 'twisted martyr' Luigi Mangione after he brags about his $1M legal fund
Outspoken Senator John Fetterman has blasted accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione and his legion of supporters who have now handed their 'folk hero assassin' an astonishing $1million for his defense. Mangione revealed the staggering amount in a self-reflective list of 27 things he's 'grateful for' to mark his birthday of the same number inside the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. Fetterman, a long-standing critic of the Mangione support cult, told exclusively in a reaction to the figure: 'Spoiler… to those who exalt, donate and defend their twist martyr, that cowardly a**hole will die in prison.' Mangione was arrested in Fetterman's home state Pennsylvania after five days on the run following the shooting death of healthcare boss Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street. The senator is one of many who believe Mangione's list was widely circulated to his army of devotees – who view him as a romanticized folk hero for his alleged slaying of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on December 4, 2024 – as a way to garner sympathy as the legal clock ticks. Millionaire Mangione references his large bounty in item 13 on his list of the '27 things I am grateful for'. It reads: 'The some 30,000 individuals around the globe who have come together to donate over $1,000,000 to my legal fund, enabling me to retain a world class defense team across three concurrent prosecutions.' Mangione allegedly shot Thompson in the back on a Manhattan sidewalk as he arrived for an investors meeting. The now 27-year-old was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an anonymous 911 call describing a 'suspicious man' resembling the suspect. According to a manifesto on him when seized, he was critical of the state of healthcare in the United States. The alleged killer, who was born into a wealthy and prominent family in Baltimore, Maryland, painted a rough canvas of his daily 'birdcage' incarceration in the 27-point list which also appears to revel in his 'celebrity' status. He mailed it out from the jail on June 6. Mangione, who is pleading not guilty to federal and state murder charges, gushes surprising praise toward staff at the jail, currently also housing rap mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs during his sex-trafficking trial. He also gets political, dubbing America as 'sick' and praising both conservatives and liberals alike while calling free speech 'the basis of our way of life'. Mangione additionally reveals his supporters are deluging him with their own stories of everyday travails and adversity in an effort to boost him as he awaits a December 5 hearing to set his federal trial date. It appears money for goodies inside is not a problem, with him revealing he's being bombarded with top-ups for his commissary account to buy essentials and treats – and disclosing what he likes to eat. But Mangione's first thoughts are reserved for those closest to him. Leading his list of gratitude is a heartfelt nod to his inner circle: 'My friends, for being there when I needed it most,' he writes in thought number one. He is grateful for his family, yet curtly, and confusingly, considering his appeals for sympathy – informing his followers 'my personal life is none of your business!' And he praises 'the many talented and generous individuals who – if not for my current predicament – I would never have crossed paths with'. The accused assassin, who has a cushy job in jail cleaning showers, claims he suffers Groundhog Day symptoms as a result of others' kindness. Reasons to be grateful number four says: 'Letters. I spend each day between the same four walls of my unit, where I receive both holiday cards sent in December and birthday cards sent between March and May, creating a bizarre and disorienting Groundhog Day scenario where every day is both Christmas and my May 6th birthday. 'Nonetheless, I am incredibly grateful. The monotony of my physical environment is offset by the variety and richness of the lives I experience through letters: multi-page life stories, retellings of workplace conversations, stream of consciousness journal entries. 'Admissions of greatest fears, eager recaps of recent triumphs, mothers reliving senseless tragedies. Soulful creations, generous offers, advice.' Aside from his defense fund, he is also receiving money to make life easier inside the federal lock-up. Item 17 reads: 'Everyone who has donated to my commissary account, whose contributions have funded a tablet, songs, stamps, hygiene items, bbq sauce, Goya sazon, peanut butter and lot of tuna packets.' His tastes inside also extend to 'Chicken Thursdays and Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce'. Aside from food, the University of Pennsylvania alumni admitted he cannot wade through all the 'countless books I've been sent' but he's 'distributed these books to my grateful inmates'. 'While I've never read the vast majority of them, I've loved facilitating this collective practice in tsundoko', he continues, referring to a Japanese word meaning acquiring books but letting them pile up without reading them. Reason number 17 was a direct shout out to his fans whose donations to his prison commissary account allowed him to purchase Barbeque sauce, Sazon seasoning packets and even a tablet He also gives a fascinating insight into his own taste in literature. In a nod to the shadow of the charges facing him, he gives a thumbs up to two dystopian works involving rebellion against the system. 'My favorites include Ayn Rand's Anthem, Patrick Bet-David's Your Next Five Moves and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451,' he writes. Anthem is a dystopian fiction novella published in 1938 with the plot taking place at an unspecified future date when mankind is entering an age where individuality is eliminated. In it, a young man known as Equality 7-2521 rebels by doing secret scientific research. Fahrenheit 451 is another dark work, this time depicting an America where books are outlawed. It follows a man who rebels against his role as a fireman who burns books, quits his job and commits to preserving literature. Meanwhile, Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy is a complete shift of gears, charting strategies for life and business – stating that the first move is understanding your own strengths and weaknesses. Mangione is grateful for 'being born in America', yet he adds: 'She is haunted by her past, she is sick, she is plagued by inner turmoil – such is her nature as a nation of individuals. 'She is young, in midst of an adolescent identity crisis. But despite her flaws, her frame is robust and her potential unmatched.' Mangione's gratitude further includes 'free speech, the basis of our way of life'. He adds: 'When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say' – George.' The quote is from A Clash of Kings, a fantasy novel by George RR Martin. Politically, Mangione strikes a seemingly even-handed tone. In items 23 and 24, he writes: 'The conservatives, who fiercely conserve the aspects of our society that make us great.' 'The liberals, who liberate us from the outdated aspects of our society that prevent us from being greater.' Meanwhile, he heaps praise on one man who has been helping him negotiate jail life. 'My cellmate J, who – despite spending half of every day inside a shared birdcage and being sentenced to a decade away from his six kids who he loved – tolerates the clutter of all my papers, shares his unique wisdom and doesn't hesitate to humble me when I need it.' Of the jail itself, he writes in thought number 10: 'The MDC staff and CO's (corrections officers), who are nothing like what The Shawshank Redemption or The Stanford Prison Experiment had me to believe. 'While the occasional minor dissent arises, I've found that they are people too and largely there to help.' Mangione's job cleaning showers was revealed by short-term cellmate Michael Daddea, who spent two weeks at MDC. In a now deleted video on X, he said he found Mangione welcoming, saying: 'Luigi is standing there and he's like, 'Hey, how's it going?' Like, super nice. Introduced himself to me first thing,' he said. Daddea, accused of 3D-printing at least 25 untraceable 'ghost guns' similar to the weapon allegedly used to kill Thompson, added Mangione was a 'collie'. 'So, a collie could be like a unit boss that tells you what cell you're going to. Luigi just happened to be a collie that cleans the showers,' he said. Daddea was arrested at his parents' house at Weeki Wachee, about 60 miles north of Tampa, Florida, and transferred to New York before being released on $250,000 bail. He was reluctant to talk further about Mangione when spoke with him at the single-family rural home. He said his attorney had advised him to take down the X posting about the alleged killer – and he told us he was fighting the accusations against him.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Reuters
China says it 'expelled' Philippine vessel from Scarborough Shoal
BEIJING, June 20 (Reuters) - China's coast guard said it took "necessary" measures including shouting and firing water cannon to "expel" a Philippine ship which it said "insisted" on "intruding" into waters around the Scarborough Shoal on Friday. The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
