Accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione indicted on charge of first-degree murder 'as act of terrorism,' NYC officials say

Alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione has been indicted on first and second-degree murder charges as an "act of terrorism" in the fatal shooting of CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan earlier this month — a killing that was done to "sow terror," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Tuesday.

Bragg, at a news conference in Manhattan, cited Mangione’s writings, which police have said included a "manifesto" that indicated "ill-will" toward corporate America, as well as the location and public nature of the killing, in charging Mangione with committing terrorism.

"It does help to take a step back and think about the proof in the case, some of the writings — I’m not going to get into too much of that — and the actual reaction: In the middle of midtown, the beginning of a busy day, tourists, commuters, business people," said Bragg. "The intent was to sow terror."

The indictment unsealed Tuesday charges Mangione with one count of first-degree murder, as an act of terrorism, and two counts of second-degree murder, one as an act of terrorism and the other as an intentional killing, Bragg said.

Mangione, a 26-year-old computer scientist from Maryland, could be arraigned on the indictment as early as Thursday, following a scheduled extradition hearing in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Dec. 9.

Neither of Mangione's attorneys — Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who is representing him in the New York case, and Thomas Dickey, who is his counsel for the Pennsylvania charges he’s also facing — responded to messages seeking comment Tuesday.

Bragg expressed confidence in his office’s ability to prove the charges, citing the language of the murder statutes.

"The statute talks about attempts to influence or coerce a civilian population, the statute talks about intending to influence a policy of government," said Bragg. "And it talks about seeking to put forth things similar to that by murder. So the plain language of the statute is clear. Obviously, we’ve charged it, the grand jury’s voted on it. We intend to go forward and prove it." 

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, also speaking at the news conference, said Mangione’s mother told police in San Francisco that were investigating Mangione as a missing person that the killing of Thompson "might be something that she could see him doing" before he was arrested.

Kenny said that Mangione was reported missing to San Francisco police on Nov. 18. A sergeant in San Francisco who was investigating Mangione’s reported disappearance saw a photo of the suspected CEO killer that was released by the NYPD and thought it "bears a resemblance" to Mangione, Kenny said.

The San Francisco sergeant reported it to the FBI, which forwarded the tip to a joint FBI-NYPD task force 45 hours after the killing, Kenny said.

"They reached out to Mangione’s mother in San Francisco, very late on the 7th," said Kenny. "They had a conversation where she didn’t indicate that it was her son in the photograph, but she said it might be something that she could see him doing."

Mangione was arrested on Dec. 9.

Meanwhile, Thursday’s extradition hearing in Blair County, Pennsylvania, could result in Mangione's almost-immediate extradition to New York. Bragg, on Tuesday, reiterated comments he made last week, saying that "indications" are that Mangione might waive extradition after initially fighting a transfer to New York.

Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a McDonald's worker called 911 to report that Mangione appeared to resemble a person of interest being pursued by the NYPD in the married father of two’s killing.

Altoona police arrested Mangione on charges of forgery and weapons possession. Police said Mangione was found in possession of an illegal ghost gun — which the NYPD later said was a match to shell casings found at the scene of Thompson's killing — and multiple fake IDs, including a New Jersey driver's license that was used to rent a room at an Upper West Side hostel before the killing.

Blair County District Attorney Peter J. Weeks said in a statement Tuesday that Mangione's Pennsylvania charges will be the subject of a preliminary hearing Thursday morning. The extradition hearing will immediately follow, Weeks said.

"We will have no further comment at this time regarding what may occur at these appearances or whether evidence may be presented during the hearings as those are decisions that rest exclusively with Mr. Mangione and the rights afforded to him," Weeks said.

The NYPD has said it linked Mangione to the killing through fingerprints found on a water bottle and Kind bar wrapper found near the scene of the killing outside the New York Hilton Midtown on Sixth Avenue.

Investigators are trying to establish whether Mangione's alleged negative feelings about the health care insurance industry served as a motive in Thompson's fatal shooting.

The three shell casings found at the scene had the words "delay" "deny" and "depose" printed on them, which police have said could have a nexus to language used in the health insurance industry.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, also speaking at the Tuesday news conference, spoke out strongly against some social media sentiment that has sought to celebrate Mangione’s alleged actions.

"In the nearly two weeks since Mr. Thompson’s killing, we have a seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder," Tisch said. "Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack. People ghoulishly plastered posters threatening other CEOs with an 'X' over Mr. Thompson’s picture as though he was some sort of a sick trophy."

Tisch also cited a media report about a deck of cards with the faces of other CEOs on them.

"There is no heroism in what Mangione did," Tisch said. "This was a senseless act of violence. It was a cold and calculated crime that stole a life and put New Yorkers at risk. We don’t celebrate murders and we don’t lionize the killing of anyone. And any attempt to rationalize this is vile, reckless and offensive to our deeply held principles of justice." 

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.