Baltimore attorney explains what's next for healthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione
BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore defense attorney weighed in on what's next for Maryland native Luigi Mangione, who pleaded not guilty on Monday to New York State murder and terrorism charges in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione faces 11 state charges, including first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism. He also faces four federal charges, including murder.
"I would almost guess that the next step for them is going to be, maybe a motion to dismiss. They are probably going to be looking to file motions to suppress various pieces of evidence as the discovery is coming to them," said Criminal Defense Attorney Eric Bacaj. "With a high-profile attorney, I would expect that Mr. Mangione would be mounting a vigorous defense."
Mangione, who is related to a prominent Maryland family that owns country clubs and healthcare facilities in the Baltimore area, is represented by high-profile attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo. He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Agnifilo requested immediate, expedited discovery in the case, according to CBS News, which means speeding the process of exchanging information and evidence between parties before a trial. Prosecutors said they have a voluminous amount of discovery material, including thousands of hours of surveillance video.
"Now that he's pled not guilty, the next step is going to be discovery, and with a high-profile attorney, I think that you can expect vigorous defense, meaning I think they are probably they are going to go full board with filing any motion they think might gain traction in court in order to attack and to take up resources from the prosecutor's office," Bacaj said.
Mangione's case
Mangione was arrested on December 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he was recognized by a McDonald's employee. He was later charged with the UnitedHealthcare CEO's murder and was extradited to New York City.
According to CBS News, state prosecutors allege Mangione was found in possession of what is believed to be the murder weapon, and surveillance videos show a man matching his description before and after the attack, including outside the Hilton where Thompson was shot.
According to the federal criminal complaint, as reported by CBS News, Mangione "traveled from Georgia to New York, New York for the purpose of stalking and killing Brian Thompson." The complaint says Mangione used a cellphone and the Internet to plan the killing.
Bacaj told WJZ that it's going to be a long process before a trial gets underway.
"Part of that is because of the volume of evidence that we understand is at issue in the case," Bacaj continued. "It takes a lot of time to make sure that a defense attorney is reviewing that evidence and understanding the significance of it, and possibly, even collecting evidence from other sources that aren't in the state's discovery that they might want to use at trial."
Mangione's Maryland family
Luigi Mangione was valedictorian at Baltimore's Gilman School in 2016. His family owns Lorien Health Services, a chain of nursing homes, as well as the Turf Valley and Hayfields Country Clubs and conservative news-talk radio station WCBM.
The family has only made one statement since Mangione's arrest.
His cousin Nino Mangione, a Republican state delegate representing Baltimore County, wrote, "Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione. We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news."
