ACCUSED CEO assassin Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal charges after deranged supporters flocked to protest the Department of Justice’s vow to pursue the death penalty.
The protesters donned bizarre outfits and gushed over the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate before his latest bombshell court appearance.
Mangione is facing both state and federal charges for allegedly murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on December 4.
Federal prosecutors want to seek the death penalty if he’s found guilty and they filed papers to do so on Thursday.
On Friday, he walked into the courtroom alongside his defense team wearing a tan prison jumpsuit and was not handcuffed, according to the BBC.
The accused killer rifled through some papers in front of him and, at one point, appeared to smile.
When asked if he had read the indictment, Mangione replied, “I have,” and then resolutely said he was “not guilty.”
Defense attorneys said there had been an agreement that the state trial would start first.
But they argued on Friday that the federal trial should be prioritized due to the new death penalty filing.
However, a final decision hasn’t been made and the judge instead proposed a timeline of future hearings this year.
She hopes to set a 2026 trial date by December.
Before the hearing, fans of the alleged assassin wore outfits based on the Nintendo character Luigi as they held up signs calling for his freedom and criticizing the death penalty.
But not everyone was there to support the suspected killer.
Dissenting artist Scott LoBaido showed up with a bizarre display that he titled “Deep fried Luigi.”
It featured a model skeleton wearing a Luigi outfit strapped to an electric chair.
Walking behind him were counterprotesters who held a sign that read, “F*ck Luigi and his jagoff followers.”
Whistleblower Chelsea Manning, a transgender ex-United States Army soldier who was imprisoned for disclosing information to WikiLeaks, also showed up to court.
No cameras were allowed in the federal courtroom.
Luigi Mangione's death penalty filing & how it can affect his state case
Luigi Mangione, 26, is facing two cases at the federal and New York state levels for the murder of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson
Federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Mangione for the December 4, 2024, assassination in Midtown Manhattan.
The defense team for Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty on both federal and state charges, has asked a judge to allow federal prosecutors to try their case first against their client.
If convicted on federal charges, a jury must decide whether Mangione should be put to death.
If a jury imposes the death penalty on Mangione, what would that mean for his state charges?
Eric Faddis, a Denver-based trial attorney, told The U.S. Sun that state prosecutors can still try their case against Mangione while he’s on death row.
“If [Mangione] is convicted in federal court and he receives the death penalty, that’s not the end of the story,” Faddis said.
“The death penalty will be appealed for years, if not decades, after that decision is handed down.
“Even if he is convicted in federal court and receives the death penalty, I think it’s likely New York State will continue its prosecution and seek its own punishment.
“In modern history, when there’s a death penalty that’s imposed, it still takes years, if not decades, to go through the appeal process because it’s the most serious punishment and it carries the most involved appellate procedure.”
Faddis added, “Even if he is convicted, he’s not going to be put to death immediately. It’s going to take a significant amount of time, and that will give more than enough time for New York State to pursue their prosecution.”
A judge has not ruled who will try their case first, whether state or federal prosecutors.
SICK SUPPORT
Mangione’s defense team posted on his official legal defense information website to reveal that he is receiving an average of 10 to 15 letters per day while behind bars.
They bragged that Mangione “very much welcomes mail and tries to personally respond to many of the letters received.”
The defense shared scans of handwritten notes from the accused murderer documenting each letter by writing down the initials of the author and the date it was received.
The yellow-lined paper included a statement written by Mangione expressing that he was “overwhelmed” and “grateful” for the support.
“While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive,” he wrote.
“In lieu of a response, the least I can do is acknowledge each person who took the time and effort to write.”
SICK ‘ASSASSIN’
The 26-year-old real estate scion became an overnight sensation after he allegedly murdered the dad of two as he was walking into an investor meeting in Manhattan.
The killing sparked a nationwide outpouring of fury at for-profit healthcare companies, as radical supporters praised Mangione for his alleged act.
Some supporters have turned against each other on a vibrant Reddit post after a hidden note was sent to him in a gifted pair of socks.
Meanwhile, the internet was set alight after The U.S. Sun uncovered the truth behind sex tapes recorded by Mangione.
Who is Luigi Mangione?
LUIGI Mangione, 26, was regarded as a beloved, clever and wealthy man by his family, friends and all who knew him.
He was born and raised in Maryland and graduated as the valedictorian from the private all-boys Gilman School in Baltimore.
He had no prior criminal history and was said to have been a model student, soccer player, and all-around athlete at high school.
One former student from the Gilman School told The U.S. Sun that Mangione was “popular” and had a “big circle of friends.”
“We went to the same school but didn’t really have the same friends. I’m really shocked by this whole thing,” the former student, who asked not to be identified, said.
“I think he played soccer, it was an all-boys school, so being a good athlete got you social currency for sure.”
Mangione graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied computer and information science, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He also got his masters from the Ivy League school.
Mangione was reportedly a data engineer at a car company in California before moving to Hawaii.
His cousin is also Republican Maryland State Delegate Nino Mangione.