Luigi Mangione, the primary suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has obtained high-profile New York Attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo, NBC News reported on Saturday.
Agnifilo Intrater LLP, confirmed Friedman Agnifilo will represent Mangione but declined to comment further. "She will not be making any statements at this time," the firm said in a statement.
Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was shot and killed just prior to 7 a.m. local time last Wednesday outside of the New York Hilton Midtown. Mangione, 26, faces one count of murder, two of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of second-degree possession of a forged document and one of third-degree criminal possession of a firearm, according to court documents.
Fingerprints recovered from a water bottle and a Kind bar near the crime scene have been matched to Mangione, according to police and authorities also say that have linked bullet shells to a 3D printed ghost gun Mangione had on his possession when he was arrested.
Mangione currently remains in custody at a Pennsylvania state prison after his bail was denied by a judge. Mangione has been fighting extradition to New York and has challenged the interstate transfer. He was apprehended on Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Following his arrest, several online fundraisers appeared in support of Mangione's legal defense. GoFundMe has removed at least three such fundraisers saying that its Terms of Service prohibit raising money for the legal defense of violent crimes. Yet, GiveSendGo, an alternative platform for crowd funding, has seen its Mangione legal defense campaign raise almost $100,000 as of Saturday. "We are not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right of fair legal representation," the campaign page noted.