Masked women compared to ‘Manson Family’ for singing as their ‘hero’ Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty

A creepy public show of support for Luigi Mangione outside the New York Supreme Court Monday drew comparisons to The Manson Family.

A few dozen masked young women waved and sang as the The alleged killer of UnitedHealthare’s CEO has pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges.

The 26-year-old wore a collared shirt, maroon sweater and orange shoes as he leaned into a microphone to make his plea.

During his court appearance, he occasionally smiled during a conversation with his lawyers and extended his right hand after an officer removed his handcuffs.

Mangione did not appear to have any family members with him. But one report suggested that about two dozen female supporters were given seats in the courtroom’s galley.

In a scene reminiscent of Charles Manson’s cult followers in the 1960s, several dozen mask-wearing supporters sang “Free Luigi” outside over the blare of a trumpet.

Some were even seen visibly singing: as some masked Mangione fans sang ‘The Hanging Tree’ from the film series The Hunger Games.

The song’s lyrics include a repeated line: “They hanged a man / They say who killed three.”

Natalie Monarrez, a 55-year-old Staten Island resident, said she joined the demonstration because she lost both her mother and her life savings due to denied insurance claims.

“As extreme as it was, it shook the conversation that we need to address this issue,” she said of the shooting. ‘Enough is enough, people are fed up.’

The fandom led many to compare the women in attendance to the members of The Manson Family.

Manson led a cult of about a hundred disaffected young people in the 1960s, which he called the Manson Family, and in 1969 sent his followers to murder the rich and famous of Los Angeles.

The infamous Manson family was convicted of nine murders after embarking on the killing spree that terrorized the city fifty years ago.

Members of the Manson Family stabbed, beat and shot young actress Sharon Tate, who was heavily pregnant, to death in her Hollywood Hills home on August 8, 1969.

They also killed her friends, celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, aspiring screenwriter Wojciech Frykowski and teenager Steven Parent, who had been visiting an acquaintance in the estate’s guesthouse.

The next night, Manson and some of his followers struck again, this time killing wealthy grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary at their home.

Manson and his followers also murdered musician Gary Hinman and Hollywood stuntman Donald ‘Shorty’ Shea.

Experts have since speculated that the group could be responsible more unsolved murders.

Despite the horrific allegations, legions of fans have also come to Mangione’s defense.

Those who support this modern-day killer Mangione see him as a vigilante-style hero, who reportedly took drastic measures to send a message to the healthcare system.

Thompson’s murder sparked an industry investigation after bullet casings were found at the scene with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written on them.

The messages are similar to a book by Jay M Feinman, entitled ‘Delay, Defend, Deny: Why insurance company don’t pay claims, and what you can do about it’, which discusses the allegedly unethical practice of delaying and denying claims in the insurance sector is discussed. legitimate claims.

Meanwhile, other creepy fans are fixated on the suspect’s good looks.

He has been flooded with support, including from donors seeking to raise money for his legal defense.

Mangione’s followers watched Monday as attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo urged the judge to ensure her client receives a fair trial, while warning that Mangione is being biased by statements made by government officials.

She added that he was being used as “political fodder” by the “warring” jurisdictions involved in the case, while labeling the ostentatious perp walk he was subjected to as “unconstitutional.”

Agnifilo also took aim at New York Mayor Eric Adams, questioning why he was present at a press conference on the case.

The Manhattan district attorney formally charged Mangione last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism.

His first appearance in New York state court was prevented by federal prosecutors who filed their own charges over the shooting.

The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum penalty for the state charges is life in prison without parole.

Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed in parallel, with the state charges expected to go to trial first.

Authorities say Mangione shot Brian Thompson as he walked to an investor conference in downtown Manhattan on December 4.

Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania after a five-day search, carrying a handgun that matched the weapon used in the shooting and a fake ID, police said.

Federal prosecutors say he also carried a notebook in which he expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and especially wealthy executives.

At a news conference announcing the state charges last Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the application of the terrorism law reflected the seriousness of a “frightening, well-planned, targeted killing designed to cause shock, attention and intimidation.” to cause.’

“In the most basic terms, this was a murder intended to provoke terror,” he added. “And we’ve seen that reaction.”

Karen Friedman Agnifilo, an attorney for Mangione, has accused federal and state prosecutors of advancing conflicting legal theories. Last week, she called their approach in federal court “very confusing” and “very unusual.”