Fingerprints collected by detectives at the scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s assassination match the fingerprints taken of suspected killer Luigi Mangione, two law enforcement officials told CNN on Wednesday.
The fingerprint match is the first forensic evidence reported that directly ties Mangione to the crime scene in Midtown Manhattan, CNN reported. Mangione was arrested on Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he was spotted by a person at McDonald’s who recognized him from photos circulated by the NYPD. When he was questioned by local police, Mangione allegedly showed them a fake New Jersey ID that matched the fake ID presented by a person of interest at a Manhattan hostel last month.
Mangione was charged with firearm and forgery crimes in Pennsylvania and then slapped with a second-degree murder charge, along with more firearm charges, in New York. On Tuesday, his lawyer, Thomas Dickey, told a judge that Mangione is fighting his extradition to New York, starting a process that could last weeks as the suspect is entitled to an evidentiary hearing. Dickey requested the judge set bail, but the judge refused, and Mangione will be held behind bars in Pennsylvania during his extradition process.
Mangione will plead not guilty to his charges in Pennsylvania, Dickey toldreporters on Tuesday. The defense lawyer said he expects Mangione to plead not guilty to charges in New York and added that he would potentially represent the suspect there.
“I haven’t seen any evidence that they have the right guy,” Dickey said Tuesday evening during an appearance on CNN.
Altoona police reportedly found that Mangione was in possession of a homemade firearm and suppressor. Both the gun and the suppressor were 3D printed, according to authorities. Surveillance video of the assassination appeared to show the killer using a handgun with a suppressor. Mangione was also in possession of a 262-page manifesto that raged against health insurance companies and specifically called out “United.” Mangione allegedly wrote in the manifesto, “To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone.”
New York reserves the first-degree murder charge for killing for hire, killing a person in law enforcement, killing a witness, killing while serving a long sentence, and killing with torture, according to The New York Times. First- and second-degree murder convictions in New York can result in life in prison, but the minimum sentence differs from 15 years under second-degree murder to 20 years under first-degree murder.
Mangione had to be restrained by sheriff’s deputies as he yelled at reporters as he was escorted to his extradition hearing on Tuesday. Some outlets reported that the suspect shouted, “It’s completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people. It’s lived experience.” Other outlets reported that he yelled, “It’s completely an injustice …”
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