Ominous new sign Luigi Mangione will face the death penalty 'for shooting of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson'
A death penalty expert has been appointed to the defense team of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson.
During a brief order on Tuesday, Federal Judge Katherine Parker decided that Avraham Markowitz, an expert in capital cases, will look into Mangione's federal case.
One of his federal charges, murder through use of a firearm, is eligible for the death penalty.
Mangione, 26, is accused of fatally shooting Thompson, 50, on December 4 outside of the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan while the CEO made his way to an investor conference.
A spokesperson for his attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo told ABC News she is 'pleased' to have Markowitz join the case.
'The Agnifilo Intrater team is pleased to have Avi Moskowitz lend his considerable expertise in death penalty cases to Mr. Mangione's federal case as "learned counsel",' a spokesperson for the firm told the outlet.
'The charges could not be more serious and our client needs every resource at his disposal to fight these unprecedented charges in three jurisdictions.'
Mangione, who is currently locked up at Brooklyn's infamous Metropolitan Center, pleaded not guilty to the 11 charges in his indictment, including first-degree murder and murder as an act of terrorism.
A death penalty expert, Avraham Markowitz, was appointed to Luigi Mangione's defense team by Federal Judge Katherine Parker on Tuesday
Mangione, 26, is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, 50, on December 4 outside of the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan
The Maryland native has also been charged in the Big Apple with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second-degree, four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third-degree, one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth-degree, and one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second-degree.
The 26-year-old faces life in prison without parole if convicted of the state charges.
Talk of the death penalty for Mangione has been thrown around by multiple politicians, as news of Thompson's death quickly pointed to Americans' unhappiness with U.S. healthcare, and led to conservatives calling the murder an injustice against the system.
Sen. Rick Scott from Florida has called for the extreme action in a clip exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com.
Scott, a former healthcare industry executive, said while Mangione has not been convicted of Thompson's murder, he does believe the death penalty would be justified if he is found guilty.
He said it's obvious that death should be the punishment due to the 'cold-blooded' nature of the murder and the obvious 'vendetta' held against the CEO.
'Luigi Mangioni, in the beginning of December like you know, allegedly shot and killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan early morning,' Gabe Groisman said to Scott during an interview on an upcoming episode of his podcast Standpoint.
'It was the way he was executed, it seemed obvious at that moment that the world would condemn him.'
Mangione pleaded not guilty to the 11 charges in his indictment, including first-degree murder and murder as an act of terrorism. (Pictured: The moment Thompson was shot)
'There's been a big push at least in social media and the sort of younger generation trying to almost defend or excuse Mangione because of the problems that he sees in the healthcare industry and the insurance industry, in particular,' Groisman noted.
'With your background in healthcare, what's your reaction to what happened there?' he asked.
The senator replied: 'There's groups that you know believe in violence now as a way to get the change they want and you know you just have to condemn it and hold these people accountable for bad acts.'
'Do you think, from what you know, he deserves the death penalty for his actions?' Groisman pressed.
'I mean he's not been convicted yet, but it sure looks like it was just absolutely in cold blood and he just had a vendetta against him so at least that's what- what you read,' Scott said.
'So if that's what happened, I mean clearly, you know [the death penalty] is clearly justified.'
He concluded: 'If somebody doesn't like the way the healthcare system is being delivered then get in the middle of it and change it – so that's the right way of doing it.'
News of Thompson's death quickly pointed to Americans' unhappiness with U.S. healthcare, and led to conservatives calling the murder an injustice against the system. (Pictured: Mangione at the South Street Helipad in New York City after being extradited from Pennsylvania)
Earlier this month, prosecutors and lawyers agreed to a last-minute delay to bring an indictment against Mangione.
He's since been charged in a criminal complaint, a document that is lodged against individuals prior to the return of an indictment.
Prosecutors said they consulted with the defense and agreed that extending the deadline was necessary 'to permit both parties adequate preparation for pretrial proceedings and the trial itself.'
The lawyers agreed in a letter to the court that the deadline to bring an indictment against Mangione could be extended from January 18 to February 17.
The case is unusual because at least one charge carries the possibility of the death penalty, but whether to pursue that penalty must be made by the Justice Department in Washington.
He made an initial appearance on the charges in late December. Mangione won't be required to enter a plea until an indictment is returned.
Prosecutors have said the two cases - state and federal - will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state charges expected to go to trial first. His next appearance in state court is scheduled for February 21.
Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after both a worker and elderly person spotted him and called the police.
Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, (pictured) after both a worker and elderly person spotted him and called the police.
He was detained on firearm charges and was carrying a 'ghost gun', believed to have been made with a 3D printer, when he was arrested.
Mangione is originally from Towson, Maryland, and is an anti-capitalist former Ivy League student who attended one of Baltimore's most prestigious schools, the $40,000-a-year Gilman.
After leaving school Mangione attended the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania where he studied computer science and engineering. He has spent four years working in a software company based in Santa Monica, California, called TrueCar.
The musclebound suspect has ties to San Francisco, and used to live in Honolulu, Hawaii, cops confirmed.
Police sources said he was angry at the way the medical insurance industry treated a sick relative, according to the New York Post.
Further details on that relative or their identity have not been shared, although online obituaries show Mangione lost a grandmother in 2013 and a grandfather in 2017.
His X account also showed an x-ray of a complicated back injury that his former roommate RJ Marin said was so severe that Mangione was unable to have sex.
