The attorney representing Luigi Mangione has revealed that the alleged gunman exploded outside a Pennsylvania courthouse because we were “agitated.”
Mangione — who is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly killing 50-year-old UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4 — appeared in court Tuesday to fight extradition to the Big Apple.
As he was led to the courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, Mangione, 26, yelled at reporters for being “completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their experiences!”
The outburst occurred after someone asked the Ivy League graduate if he “did it,” referring to the murder of Brian Thompson, according to the Wall Street Journal.
He also shouted, “This is completely unjust and an insult to the American people,” as he struggled with police officers while shackled and in prison garb.
But speaking to Erin Burnett on her CNN show Wednesday night, attorney Thomas Dickey said his client was angry because he had no legal representation at the time.
“He’s irritated and agitated about what’s happening to him and what he’s accused of,” Dickey said when pressed by Burnett on whether he would seek a not guilty plea by reason of insanity.
“He never had any legal representation until he walked into that building yesterday.”
Luigi Mangione’s lawyer claimed on Wednesday that he was ‘agitated’ as he appeared in court on Tuesday to fight extradition to New York
He is accused of shooting 50-year-old Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, and has been charged with manslaughter in New York.
Dickey further explained that his client began acting differently after the extradition, when he was seen pouting as he was led into a vehicle because he had “found someone he could trust.”
“If you notice it, watch the film, watch the difference between the moment he went in and the moment he came out,” the lawyer urged.
“Once he got in, he finally got legal representation,” he continued. “I like to think he had someone he can trust and have confidence in.
“Now he has a spokesperson and someone who will fight for him.”
Dickey also said he interpreted Mangione’s outburst as “frustration at being a young man thrown in jail” and noted that the first time he contacted Mangione was as he walked through the courthouse door for his extradition hearing .
He claimed Dickey was ‘upset about that’ [Mangione] had no legal advice before that” and further explained that he learned about the case mainly through various news channels.
“I appreciate the work you do as reporters because I actually use different news reports as my source of information because no one is sharing this evidence with me.”
Mangione did not have legal representation when he first arrived at the courthouse, his attorney said
Defense attorney Thomas Dickey previously said there is no evidence to suggest the 26-year-old is the person who killed Thompson at point-blank range on December 4.
Dickey noted he likely won’t see any police reports before Mangione’s hearing in Pennsylvania on gun charges on Dec. 23.
He had previously said there was no evidence the 26-year-old was the person who killed Thompson at point-blank range before fleeing the scene.
“I have not seen any evidence that says he is the shooter,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “The fundamental concept of American justice is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.”
But on Wednesday, New York police officers laid out all the evidence they had collected against the former valedictorian.
Fingerprints found on a Kind bar and water bottle at the scene, and fingerprints found on Mangione’s.
Police also reportedly found a bottle of water that the suspect had purchased at Starbucks shortly before the murder.
NYPD officials announced Wednesday that fingerprints were found on a Kind bar and water bottle at the scene, and fingerprints were found on Mangione’s.
“First, we got the weapon in question back from Pennsylvania. It is now in the NYPD crime lab,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
“We were able to match that weapon to the three shell casings we found at the murder scene in Midtown.”
Meanwhile, the NYPD’s top cop Joseph Kenny told CBS New York that no prints were found on the bullets that killed Thompson, but there was one print on a cell phone recovered at the scene.
He said the evidence was pending but did not say whether it matched Mangione.