Why you’ll likely never see another new photo of Luigi Mangione again

Luigi Mangione may never be photographed again, as the heartthrob faces a federal trial involving a camera ban and possibly life behind bars.

26-year-old suspected murderer Mangione set the internet on fire on Thursday after he appeared in court in Altoona, Pennsylvania, looking cheerful.

He was then flown to New York City and given a dystopian-looking perp walk where he was flanked by multiple police officers and New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Demonic fans of the alleged killer drooled over his good looks, but Thursday’s widely shared images of Luigi may be the last photos and videos they ever see.

Mangione was hit with federal murder and stalking charges this week for the Dec. 4 killing of 50-year-old United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan.

Photography is banned in both federal trials and judicial proceedings in New York state, which has filed its own murder and terrorism charges against Mangione.

As of now, court sketches are likely the only new images of Mangione that will be released.

He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and will be transported to court each day in a secure van that will park in the courthouse.

Prosecutors are confident in their case against Mangione and if they ultimately convict, he could face life behind bars or even the death penalty if the federal charges are upheld.

Police sources report this New York Post that federal prosecutors pressed their own case to ensure Mangione was eligible for the death penalty.

New York banned the death penalty in 2004, but federal authorities may push for the death penalty in certain murder cases.

If Mangione is convicted and sentenced to death, he could be transported to another state to be executed.

Officials will likely be relieved that future photo opportunities in Mangione will be limited, possibly forever.

His good looks and decision to kill the CEO of a controversial health insurance company have caused him to be compared as a hero by many Americans, although that outpouring has itself sparked backlash.

Fans have used AI to create images depicting Mangione as a Catholic saint, with researchers hoping a lack of new images will cool public sentiment and make it easier to find an unbiased jury.

But they have an uphill battle. Even those who have vociferously condemned Mangione’s alleged crimes say the way he is being charged is troubling.

They have highlighted why Mangione faces harsher charges and sentences than mass murderers or school shooters.

That, in turn, has fueled speculation that the administration wants to make an example of him and assuage the concerns of corporate America. Critics claim this is a blatant example of bipartisan justice.

“Very few school shooters have received the death penalty. Yet the US is trying to indict Luigi Mangione so he gets the death penalty for killing one man,” said someone on X.

“You can kill dozens of children and get a lesser sentence because their lives don’t matter as much as a CEO’s. That’s America.’

Supporters lined the streets in Pennsylvania and Manhattan as Mangione was transferred, including some dressed as Luigi from the Super Mario Bros franchise.

Many also questioned the NYPD’s decision to hold such a high-profile perp walk with Mangione on Thursday, which only increased the public fixation on him because it resembled a scene from a Hollywood movie.

One

“Are they actively trying to make him a martyr? Whether you’re for him or against him, they make it SO easy for everyone to think of him as a lion.”

The newly unveiled federal indictment against Mangione provides more details about the notes police say they found on his notebook when he was arrested last week — including his desire to “wack” (sic) the CEO of an insurance company.

Prosecutors say Mangione wrote repeatedly about his disdain for the health insurance industry and its executives. In an August 15 post, Mangione reportedly wrote how “the details are finally coming together” and that “the goal is insurance” because “it checks every box.”

On October 22, Mangione allegedly wrote: ‘1.5 months. This investor conference is a real windfall… and – most importantly – the message becomes self-evident.”

In the same message, Mangione describes his intention to ‘move’ the CEO of an insurance company.

Mangione, a member of a wealthy Maryland family, had never received health insurance from United Healthcare.

He disappeared from the radar earlier this year after suffering severe back pain and undergoing extensive surgery on his spine.

The alleged killer waived a preliminary hearing on the forgery and weapons charges in Pennsylvania in exchange for the prosecutor giving him a 20-page investigative report from the Altoona Police Department. Mangione also agreed to be extradited to New York.

Earlier this week, he was indicted on charges of murder as an act of terrorism, under a New York state law that allows harsher penalties when a killing is aimed at frightening citizens or influencing government.

Mangione, of Towson, Maryland, was arrested on December 9 when police were called to a McDonald’s restaurant on a strip mall in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after it was reported that he matched the description of Thompson’s killer.

Thompson was shot in the street as he walked to the hotel where his Minnesota-based company was holding an investor conference.

The shooting was captured on security video, but the suspect evaded police before Mangione was captured about 447 miles west of New York.

Authorities say Mangione had the gun that killed Thompson, a passport, a fake ID and about $10,000 in U.S. and foreign currency.