Will Luigi Mangione be extradited to New York? Hearing in CEO shooting set for Thursday
Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is set to appear Thursday at an extradition hearing in Pennsylvania after Manhattan prosecutors filed a slew of new charges related to the brazen attack.
Mangione, 26, faces one count of first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism and two counts of second-degree murder, including a count of murder in the second degree as an act of terrorism, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's Office.
"This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation," Bragg said. If convicted on all counts, Mangione would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, Bragg said.
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The prep school valedictorian and Ivy League graduate is accused of shooting Thompson as he was walking to a company conference on Dec. 4, setting off a massive search effort that ended when a tipster at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, recognized Mangione.
He was arrested in Pennsylvania on charges related to fake identification cards and a 3D-printed gun investigators found while searching him. The New York Police Department have said the handgun matched shell casings found at the scene and Mangione's fingerprints matched those taken off evidence near where the shooting occurred.
Officials in Pennsylvania and New York have been working together to extradite Mangione to Manhattan to face murder charges since he was arrested. While Mangione's attorney in Pennsylvania initially said he would fight extradition, Bragg said he had indications that Mangione may waive his right to contest his extradition to New York.
The law firm of Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione's New York defense attorney, declined to comment on the charges and the upcoming extradition hearing.
Legal experts in Pennsylvania have previously told USA TODAY it is unlikely that any legal challenge presented by Mangione's lawyers would prevent him from being extradited, especially considering the charges and how officials in both states have vowed to see him face charges in New York.
Thursday's hearing is set to take place at the Blair County Courthouse at 8:30 a.m., according to a court docket.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Luigi Mangione be extradited to NY? Hearing is set for Thursday