Luigi Mangione is daring the prosecution to “come at me.” Did you expect Mangione to go quietly? No, he’s picked a defense strategy, and this is the kind of comeback we were rooting for.
Mangione has retained one of New York’s most well-connected attorneys, Karen Friedman Agniflio. The former chief assistant district attorney of Manhattan is the kind of lawyer that has every judge, clerk, and courtroom coffee vendor on speed dial. If Mangione’s going to try and Houdini his way out of the avalanche of evidence against him, she’s the one who’ll be holding the shovel.
And oh, what an avalanche it is. Police have been busy assembling a case so airtight it might as well come with its own theme music. Start with the gun: a custom 3D-printed creation that, unsurprisingly, matches the shell casings found at the scene where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down. Add to that Mangione’s fingerprints on items near the crime scene, and you start to wonder if he was actively trying to leave a breadcrumb trail.
Anytime I see footage of an avalanche, my mind always goes to Mulan. pic.twitter.com/HiJJSV4lop
— EmmoLei Sankofa (@EmmoLei) March 4, 2019
Investigators also found a handwritten manifesto in Mangione’s possession when he was arrested. The document is reportedly a three-page tirade against corporate greed, health insurance companies, and whatever else he decided to rail against that day. According to an NYPD intelligence report, Mangione described the murder as a “symbolic takedown” of a corrupt system, and he positioned himself as the vigilante anti-hero. Although the public loved this vigilante, this move won’t play well in court.
Mangione remains in Pennsylvania, where he’s being held on gun-related charges after his dramatic arrest in Altoona. His lawyers are stalling the extradition to New York, but whispers suggest he might waive that fight soon. If he does, he’ll face second-degree murder charges in a Manhattan courtroom, where Friedman Agnifilo will undoubtedly be ready to put on a legal masterclass. For now, Mangione sits in custody, no bail, with Pennsylvania prosecutors chomping at the bit to hand him over.
Of course, the drama doesn’t stop at the courtroom doors. Mangione’s Baltimore roots and prominent family have people guessing who’s bankrolling his legal dream team. His Pennsylvania lawyer insists it’s not the family, though he admits some random members of the public have offered to chip in. We like this idea. Why don’t we crowdfund a murder suspect? The amount of money we could raise can probably help Mangione with his legal fees and then help people who had denied claims by UnitedHealthcare.
Let’s be real: as much as we all like Mangione, a 3D-printed gun, a manifesto, and a trail of forensic breadcrumbs don’t exactly scream “wrong place, wrong time.” And prosecutors have made it clear they’re playing hardball. Pennsylvania officials are ready to expedite his extradition, and both Governors Hochul and Shapiro are standing by, pens in hand, to green-light the paperwork. Even with the addition of Agnifilo, it’s hard to see how Mangione plans to explain away the evidence. Maybe Agnifilo can find some loophole?
Mangione is staging this case as his personal showdown against the system. He painted himself as a man of principles caught in a world of corruption. Is this a delusion or genius? That remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: it’s not boring. And if there’s one thing we love, it’s a spectacle.