UnitedHealthcare CEO killing latest: Mangione hires ‘veteran’ New York lawyer
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(NEW YORK) — Luigi Mangione has hired veteran former New York City prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo to defend him against murder charges on Friday, according to a statement Friday night from her law firm Agnifilo Intrater LLP.
Friedman Agnifilo served as the second-in-command in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office from 2014 to 2021 under former DA Cyrus Vance. A biography on her law firm website says she played a lead role in prosecuting “high-profile violent crime cases,” including those involving mental health and cold case homicides.
“Karen Friedman Agnifilo has a three-decade background in criminal justice, litigation, and trials. Her practice focuses on criminal defense in state and federal courts, leveraging her extensive experience prosecuting serious violent crimes, including complex homicide cases, from accusation to investigation to arrest and trial,” her biography says.
“While serving in the Manhattan DA’s office, Ms. Friedman Agnifilo was also integral to creating the office’s Human Trafficking Unit, Hate Crimes Unit, Antiquities Trafficking Unit, Terrorism Unit, its Cybercrimes and Identity Theft Bureau, as well as working on the creation of Manhattan’s first Mental Health Court,” the biography continued.
Friedman Agnifilo is also a frequent television news guest and commentator and is a former legal analyst for CNN.
She is also the co-host of a weekly podcast on the Meidas Touch Network where she discusses emerging legal issues and litigation strategy that routinely has half a million listeners per episode, according to her biography. She is also the legal advisor for the television show Law and Order.
Meanwhile, law enforcement sources have told ABC News that writings seized from Luigi Mangione indicate he had been developing a fixation and increasing malice toward UnitedHealthcare and allegedly talking about harming its leader for months.
Some of the entries in the notebook seized from Mangione upon his arrest in Pennsylvania earlier this week had dates on them going back to mid-2024, the sources said.
That fixation would eventually evolve into an alleged plan to shoot that CEO, the sources said.
Some of the writings were diary-style, documenting how he felt, what he did that day, and also documented a desire to focus on his health and himself, and find his purpose, the sources said.
Then, as time went on — as Mangione allegedly fell out of contact with friends and family and grew increasingly isolated — some of his writings indicated a deterioration in his thinking and state of mind, illustrating a gradual build towards the alleged plan to kill UnitedHealthCare’s CEO at their “annual parasitic bean-counter convention,” sources said.
Mangione’s writings, obtained by ABC News, claimed that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world, but ranks about No. 42 in life expectancy. He said UnitedHealthcare “has grown and grown, but as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit.”
“I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done,” he allegedly wrote. “Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.”
Neither Mangione nor his parents received insurance through UnitedHealthcare, according to UnitedHealth Group.
Mangione, 26, is currently in custody at a Pennsylvania state prison after a judge denied bail on Tuesday.
Luigi Mangione is seen inside the police station in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Dec. 9, 2024/Obtained by ABC News
(NEW YORK) — Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, may waive extradition to New York City as early as Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said on Friday.
“Indications are that the defendant may waive, but that waiver is not complete until a court proceeding,” Bragg said.
The earliest a court proceeding could be scheduled in Pennsylvania is Tuesday, Bragg said.
“So until that time, we are going to continue to press forward on parallel paths,” he said. “We will be ready, whether he is going to waive extradition or whether he is going to contest extradition.”
Prosecutors at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury as they work to secure an indictment against Mangione, sources told ABC News.
The DA’s office declined to comment due to the secrecy surrounding grand jury matters.
Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, remains in custody at a Pennsylvania state prison after a judge denied bail on Tuesday.
“He has constitutional rights and that’s what he’s doing” in challenging the interstate transfer, defense attorney Thomas Dickey told reporters on Tuesday.
Mangione was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday after nearly one week on the run following the Dec. 4 slaying for the UnitedHealthcare CEO.
UnitedHealthcare told ABC News that Mangione was not a member of the insurer.
Authorities are still looking to access a phone recovered by police in an alley following the shooting that is believed to be linked to the suspect, sources said Thursday. Police have obtained a search warrant for the phone, sources said.
At least two other search warrants have been issued so far in the New York case. They include to search the hostel where the suspect stayed in New York City, as well as the backpack containing Monopoly money and a jacket that was found in Central Park and is believed to belong to him, sources said.
Three shell casings recovered outside the Midtown Manhattan hotel where Thompson was fatally shot match the gun allegedly found on Mangione when he was arrested, police announced Wednesday.
Fingerprints recovered from a water bottle and a Kind bar near the crime scene have also been matched to Mangione, police said.
In Pennsylvania, Mangione faces charges including allegedly possessing an untraceable ghost gun.
In New York, he faces charges including second-degree murder.
(ATLANTA) — Hundreds of passengers were forced to evacuate on slides during a snowstorm after their Delta flight aborted takeoff from Atlanta due to an engine issue Friday morning, the airline said.
Delta Flight 2668 was traveling from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Minneapolis-St. Paul when it suspended takeoff shortly after 9 a.m. due to “an indication of an engine issue,” the airline said.
Passengers exited the Boeing 757-300 aircraft through emergency slides and ground transportation was used to take them back to the terminal.
Four passengers reported minor injuries in the incident, with one transported to an area hospital, the airport said. The other three were treated at the scene, the airport said. The nature of their injuries was not immediately clear.
The plane was carrying 201 passengers and seven crew members.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our people and customers, and we apologize to our customers for their experience,” Delta said in a statement. “We are working to support our customers and get them to their destinations as safely and quickly as possible.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate.
Operations at the Atlanta airport were delayed due to the incident and the “ongoing severe weather,” the airport said in a statement.
Approximately 2 inches of snow had fallen by noon in Atlanta, the most in seven years, as a massive winter storm impacts the South.
More than 2,600 flights across the country have been canceled as of midday Friday due to the storm, with Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas and Nashville seeing the biggest impacts.
People watch as the hearse carrying the flag-draped casket of former President Jimmy Carter departs Phoebe Sumter Medical Center on January 4, 2025 in Americus, Georgia. (Photo by Alex Brandon – Pool/Getty Images)
(ATLANTA) — The emotional, week-long public goodbye to former President Jimmy Carter is underway.
Carter’s body was transferred from his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to Atlanta on Saturday. The former president, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, will remain in Atlanta through Tuesday.
Carter to remain in Atlanta through Tuesday
Former President Jimmy Carter will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta through Tuesday.
Mourners can pay their respects at the center from 7 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Tuesday.
He will be transported to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday morning. A service will be held at the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon and the late president will lie in state at the Capitol on Wednesday.
On Thursday morning, dignitaries will gather in D.C. for Carter’s state funeral at Washington National Cathedral. President Joe Biden is expected to deliver a eulogy.
On Thursday afternoon, Carter will return to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, for a private service and private interment.
‘The two of them together changed the world’
Former President Jimmy Carter’s son Chip Carter thanked his parents for their service and sacrifice at Saturday’s service at the Carter Presidential Center.
“The two of them together changed the world,” he said, overcome with emotion.
Chip Carter called out the caregivers who cared for his father in the last years of his life, including one caregiver attending Saturday’s service who spent 6 years working for the former president.
“They are the people that helped keep him alive and comfortable and fed and cleaned,” Chip Carter said. “It was amazing, what they did for us.”
He also shared memories from his childhood.
Chip Carter said when he failed Latin, his dad spent Christmas break learning Latin and teaching it to him. Chip Carter said when he returned to school, he asked to re-take the test and got an A.
‘His legacy will live on,’ grandson says
At a service at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, former President Jimmy Carter’s grandson Jason Carter said the family has been planning for this day for a while, but it’s still difficult.
To the Carter Center employees, he said, “While we mourn my grandfather’s passing, I know in my heart — and you all do — that his legacy will live on not only because of the millions of people he touched across the globe,” but because of the tireless work of the Carter Center employees.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter founded the Carter Center after his presidency to improve health around the world and enhance freedom and democracy.
Hearse arrives at Carter Presidential Center
Former President Jimmy Carter’s motorcade has arrived at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta for a 4 p.m. service.
“Hail to the Chief” and “America the Beautiful” were played as his coffin was brought to the building, with the Carter family looking on.
Carter’s son Chip Carter and grandson Jason Carter are expected to speak.
President Carter is survived by four children — John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff) and Amy Lynn — and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died on Nov. 19, 2023, at age 96.
Motorcade stops at Georgia’s state capitol
The motorcade’s first stop in Atlanta is Georgia’s state capitol, where former President Jimmy Carter will be honored with a moment of silence.
Carter served as governor of Georgia and a state senator before becoming the 39th president.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens are among the officials coming to the capitol to pay their respects. The president’s eldest son, Jack Carter, briefly exited the car to shake officials’ hands.
Georgia state troopers who were on Carter’s protective detail during his time as governor also attended.
Carter’s White House portrait dressed in black bunting
Former President Jimmy Carter’s official White House portrait has been dressed in black bunting.
President Joe Biden ordered American flags to be flown at half-mast for 30 days following Carter’s death. He also marked Jan. 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning.
Georgia residents line the streets to watch motorcade
Georgia residents from Ellaville to Fort Valley lined the streets with their families, holding American flags, to watch former President Jimmy Carter’s motorcade pass by on Saturday.
The motorcade is driving through several Georgia towns while en route from Carter’s hometown of Plains to Atlanta.
The motorcade will reach Atlanta around 3 p.m.
Carter begins final journey to Atlanta
Former President Jimmy Carter is now taking his final drive to Atlanta.
The public can view the motorcade in the cities of Preston, Ellaville, Butler, Reynolds, and Fort Valley.
The motorcade will arrive in Atlanta at about 3 p.m. The first stop will be the state capitol for a moment of silence. Carter’s remains will then go to the Carter Presidential Center for a service at 4 p.m.
Hearse makes emotional stop at Carter’s boyhood home
The motorcade is stopping in front of the Plains, Georgia, farm that was former President Jimmy Carter’s boyhood home. The home had no running water or electricity during his childhood.
The home is now a part of the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park.
National Park Service employees who work at the home saluted the hearse and the farm bell was rung 39 times in his honor.
Motorcade drives through Plains
The motorcade next drove through the small town of Plains, Georgia, the lifelong home of former President Jimmy Carter.
Members of the public were invited to line the route to pay their respects.
Secret Service agents carry Carter’s remains to hearse
The week-long funeral ceremonies for former President Jimmy Carter are officially underway.
Members of the public holding American flags gathered outside the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia, to honor Carter as his remains leave the facility.
Current and former Secret Service agents who protected Carter since he took office served as pallbearers, carrying the former president’s remains from the medical center to the waiting hearse.
The agents walked alongside the hearse with their hands on the vehicle as it slowly left the medical center.
After departing from the medical center, the motorcade will drive by Carter’s boyhood home in nearby Plains.
Carter will then be driven to Atlanta for a ceremony Saturday afternoon.
Motorcade arrives at medical center
The Carter family has arrived at the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia, to witness the transfer of former President Jimmy Carter.
After leaving the medical center, the motorcade will drive by Carter’s boyhood home in nearby Plains. Carter will then be taken to Atlanta for an afternoon ceremony.
Schedule of events for this week’s services
Former president Jimmy Carter’s body will be transferred Saturday morning from his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to Atlanta.
A ceremony will be held at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Mourners can pay their respects to Carter in Atlanta over the following days before his remains are transferred to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
Carter will lie in state at the Capitol from Tuesday to Thursday.
Carter will be honored with a state funeral at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday morning. President Joe Biden expected to deliver a eulogy.
On Thursday afternoon, Carter and his family will return to Plains for a private service.
The public is then invited to line the motorcade route as Carter and his family travel through Plains to the late president’s final resting place.
