Prosecutors detail how Luigi Mangione allegedly surveilled CEO: 'Checks every box'
Luigi Mangione surveilled UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson the night before he allegedly shot him on a Midtown street and initially considered a different target, prosecutors in Manhattan said Wednesday in a new court filing.
Just before 8 p.m. on Dec. 3, 2024, prosecutors said Mangione was spotted walking near the Hilton Hotel. "He appeared to be talking on a cellphone, and as he walked down the street, Mr. Thompson walked past him in the opposite direction," the filing said.
As prosecutors have pored over a red notebook they said Mangione used as a diary, they say they found "unambiguous" evidence of Mangione's motive against the UnitedHealthcare CEO.
"The entry dated August 15, 2024, reads in pertinent part as follows: 'I finally feel confident about what I will do. The details are coming together. And I don't feel any doubt about whether it's right/justified. I'm glad in a way that I've procrastinated bc it allowed me to learn more about UHC,'" the filing said.
The entry allegedly suggested Mangione first considered a target with the initials KMD but decided it "would do nothing to spread awareness/improve people's lives." Prosecutors alleged that instead, Mangione concluded, "The target is insurance. It checks every box."
In the filing, the Manhattan district attorney's office attempted to provide additional justification for charging Mangione with first-degree murder that includes a terrorism enhancement. Defense attorneys have sought to dismiss the charge.
"If ever there were an open and shut case pointing to defendant's guilty, this case is that case. Simply put, one would be hard pressed to find a case with such overwhelming evidence of guilt as to the identity of the murderer and premeditated nature of the assassination," assistant district attorney Joel Seidemann wrote. "Brian Thompson and UHC were simply symbols of the healthcare industry and what the defendant considered a deadly greed-fueled cartel."
The murder had a chilling effect, according to Seidemann, who said UHC employees were afraid to sign letters denying insurance coverage. Some UHC physicians quit their jobs out of fear of retribution. The company advised its employees not to wear company-branded clothing. The attempt to intimidate the industry, prosecutors said, provides sufficient support for the terror enhancement.
Mangione is next due in court on June 26. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors opposed a defense motion to suspend the state case in favor of the federal case, which Seidemann said could take years to try because of the government's intent to seek the death penalty.
