Northeast
UnitedHealthcare CEO murder: Death penalty on the table for suspect Luigi Mangione who faces federal charges
Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 in Manhattan, was extradited Thursday from Pennsylvania back to New York, where he faces state and now federal charges.
Mangione, 26, was flown out of Pennsylvania on Thursday to face murder charges in New York. He landed at a Long Island airport, where a New York Police Department helicopter took him to Manhattan on Thursday afternoon.
Mangione could potentially face the death penalty if federal prosecutors decide to pursue that route, though the last execution in New York was in 1963, according to Ret. NYPD Det. Teresa Leto.
“The likelihood is slim,” Leto said, adding: “I’d be shocked…but anything can happen.”
UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE INDICTED IN NEW YORK
Luigi Mangioni is escorted from an NYPD helicopter in New York City, NY, Thursday, December, 19, 2024. Mangione is the prime suspect in the murder of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
She added that Mangione “has a lot going for him, just because he’s young,” and said she would be surprised if federal prosecutors pursued the death penalty against a 26-year-old suspect.
Federal court documents filed Thursday afternoon show he is facing two counts of stalking, one count of murder using a firearm and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a crime in the Southern District of New York.
SUSPECTED UNITEDHEALTHCARE ASSASSIN LUIGI MANGIONE’S PLAN TO ‘WACK’ CEO REVEALED IN JOURNAL ENTRIES: AFFIDAVIT
Luigi Mangioni is escorted from an NYPD helicopter in New York City, NY, Thursday, December, 19, 2024. Mangione is the prime suspect in the murder of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
“The federal government’s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns,” his New York defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, told Fox News. “We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought.”
Following a federal court hearing in Manhattan that concluded after 3 p.m. Thursday, Agnifilo declined comment but added that Mangione appreciates the support he has received.
“I will say this over and over again: the radicalization that is taking place across our country, we cannot ignore,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a press gaggle after Mangione arrived in New York. “When you see an incident that took place so now stories when you witnessed a shooting took place or the school campus by now a young girl, that is the continuation of our young people are crying out for help.”
Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement Thursday that the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is expected to proceed to trial before the federal case.
Officials flew Mangione to New York after he attended two court proceedings at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, on Thursday morning.
“We have an obligation not only to make apprehensions after an incident of this magnitude, but to do far more to prevent the open question.”
NYPD officers were seen sitting in the entire front row of the room where Mangione’s court proceedings took place in the Blair County Courthouse.
Luigi Nicholas Mangione leaves at Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pa., Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (Gene J. Puskar, Pool)
Several people outside the courthouse held signs that read “Deny, Defend, Depose,” the same message that Mangione allegedly left on shell casings at the scene of Thompson’s murder and words that are commonly used among insurance providers when they reject claims.
Read the federal complaint. Mobile users click here
The court covered his extradition hearing, as well as a preliminary hearing for his other firearms and fraudulent ID-related charges in Pennsylvania. The first hearing regarding his state charges ended around 9:20 a.m.
The suspect’s Altoona-based attorney, Thomas Dickey, spoke to Mangione, who nodded his head, ahead of the extradition hearing portion of Thursday’s proceedings.
Luigi Mangione on a flight from Pennsylvania to New York on Dec. 19 after waiving extradition. (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)
Mangione’s defense officially filed his extradition waiver later on Thursday morning, which Judge David Consiglio signed, approving the suspect’s return to Manhattan.
“Our intention is to keep our case active,” Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks said Thursday after the conclusion of Mangione’s court proceedings, adding that the suspect’s charges in New York are the “primary” case, and Blair County officials will continue to work with New York officials.
Read the extradition waiver. Mobile users click here.
New York prosecutors say Mangione plotted to travel to New York; find Thompson, a Minnesota resident in town for UnitedHealthcare’s annual shareholder conference; and kill him. Mangione allegedly shot Thompson from behind with a 3D-printed ghost gun and suppressor.
Adam Giesseman, left, of Piqua, Ohio, Ashlyn Adami, center, of South Bend, Ind., and Ethan Merrill of South Bend, Ind., protest outside the Blair County Courthouse after a hearing for Luigi Nicholas Mangione in Hollidaysburg, Pa., Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (Gary M. Baranec)
Bragg on Tuesday announced that a grand jury indicted Mangione on one count of first-degree murder, in furtherance of terrorism; two counts of second-degree murder; two counts of second-degree criminal weapons possession; four counts of third-degree criminal weapons possession; one count of fourth-degree criminal weapons possession; and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.
Prosecutors say Mangione fled New York City within an hour after the crime and traveled to Altoona, Pennsylvania.
UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT HAS OUTBURST OUTSIDE PENNSYLVANIA COURTHOUSE
The suspected gunman in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder, believed to be Luigi Mangione, is seen flirting with a hostel employee on surveillance footage before the Dec. 4 shooting. (NYPD)
Altoona police arrested Mangione in a McDonald’s five days later on Dec. 9 after receiving a tip from an employee. The suspect allegedly presented local police with a fake ID and appeared to start shaking when they asked if he had been in New York recently.
Police said the suspect took a bus from New York City to Philadelphia, and then from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and on to Altoona — a rust-belt town nestled between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.
The CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company mourned the killing of Brian Thompson and implored people to see that industry executives are trying their best with a flawed system. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group)
Officials also found a handwritten manifesto condemning the health care industry, as NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny previously told Fox News. The manifesto specifically mentioned UnitedHealthcare.
UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT COULD SEE MOST SERIOUS CHARGE DOWNGRADED: DEFENSE ATTORNEY
While officials have not commented on an official motive, the public has speculated that the suspect had strong grievances with both the health care insurance industry.
Watch: Eric Adams discusses Luigi Mangione extradition
The 26-year-old suspect is originally from Maryland and has recently lived in California and Hawaii. Mangione graduated valedictorian from the Gilman School, a private, all-boys high school in Baltimore, in 2016. He went on to receive his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020.
Luigi Mangione pictured in a Pennsylvania mugshot after his arrest in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
The day after his arrest in Altoona, on Dec. 10, Mangione announced that he would not waive extradition.
COULD UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE FACE DEATH PENALTY?
Attorney Tom Dickey addresses the media outside of Blair County Court in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. Dickey represented Luigi Mangione, who is suspected of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, during his extradition hearing. (Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)
“We did not waive extradition and we’re contesting extradition. We are going to fight this along the rules and with the constitutional protections that my client has,” Dickey told reporters outside the Blair County Courthouse on Dec. 10.
Fox News’ David Hammelburg, Alexis McAdams, and Maria Parnovich contributed to this report.
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Boston, MA
Red Sox’s Aroldis Chapman Wants to Stay, But Boston Holds the Cards
With another loss on Monday, the Boston Red Sox are now 10 games below .500 at 27-37 on the season with two more games scheduled against the Tampa Bay Rays before heading back to Fenway Park to face the Texas Rangers on Friday.
On one hand, it’s pretty clear that the Red Sox don’t want to wave the white flag. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made it clear that he is looking around trying to make a move. On Monday, reports surfaced from ESPN’s Buster Olney indicating that the trade talks have elevated to the point that ownership has gotten involved. It’s clear that Boston wants to add. But will the performance on the field warrant that? It’s the big question right now. Being 10 games below .500 on June 9 isn’t completely insurmountable, but it is a big hole to get out of. It’s not going to be easy.
Boston is in a tricky spot, so naturally, rumors and speculation have also popped up about various guys the club could look to offload. The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reported that the team has fielded calls on Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, and Justin Slaten, but has told teams that they aren’t willing to move their relievers yet. McCaffrey also reported that the Red Sox are shopping Connor Wong. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale took the Chapman noise further and said he’s “expected” to get traded this season. Arguably, a bit far for this point in the season, especially with the Red Sox clearly trying to add, not subtract. But something to watch.
What Will Happen With Aroldis Chapman?
But how does Chapman feel? He made it clear on Monday that his hope is to stay in Boston and turn things around, as shared by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.
“My mentality is to stay here and win here,” Chapman said through a translator, as transcribed by Smith. “Try to turn things around. … I don’t have the control over that.”
Chapman made his point clear. Now, it’s going to be very interesting to see what the club does. He has a 0.46 ERA in 20 appearances with 13 saves. The reigning Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award winner has a conditional option for the 2027 season that will be unlocked when he reaches 40 innings pitched and he passes a physical at the end of the year. He’s just under halfway to the innings goal.
At the end of the day, the best-case scenario would be Boston getting hot and shutting down all of this noise. Chapman clearly would bring a solid return, but winning is much better than that. Hopefully, things will change soon. But if the club can’t turn things around, the Red Sox hold the cards and could easily find a taker. Chapman made his point clear. What will Boston do?
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Pittsburg, PA
Pirates Place Top Prospect on Taxi Squad
One of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top position player prospects is with the team for the start of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, though he isn’t yet on the 26-man roster.
Catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores has been placed on the Pirates’ taxi squad, which could potentially signify an injury to a player on the club’s roster.
The Pirates announced that they put C/1B Rafael Flores Jr. on the taxi squad
— Dominic Campbell (@DOMISMONEY) June 9, 2026
Flores hasn’t yet appeared in a big-league game this year and instead has remained in Triple-A Indianapolis, though it’s possible he’ll have a chance to make an impact for the Pirates in the near future.
Flores’ Background
Flores signed with the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent in July 2022 for a signing bonus of $75,000.
He posted an .874 OPS with 21 home runs between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre during the 2024 campaign, putting him on the map as a legit prospect.
Flores was later used as the centerpiece of the trade deadline deal that saw the Pirates send All-Star closer David Bednar to the Yankees last year.
He slashed .281/.363/.459 with six home runs over 36 games for Indianapolis after arriving in the deal and made his major league debut for Pittsburgh on September 17, 2025.
Across seven contests and 17 plate appearances to close out the season, Flores logged a .627 OPS with a pair of doubles for the Pirates.
The 25-year-old has struggled quite heavily in Triple-A so far this year, however, owning a .207/.320/.344 slash line with four home runs and 27 RBIs in 53 games and 188 at-bats.
Flores was recently ranked as the No. 15 prospect in Pittsburgh’s farm system by FanGraphs.
“Flores has uncommon power for a catcher, and while aspects of his swing path (it’s long) and his tendency to chase make him likely to strike out a ton against big league pitching, if he can get to power in games anyway, he’ll do enough to be a valuable bat-first backup,” Eric Longenhagen wrote. “He’s best when he can get extended against pitches up and away from him, which he’s a threat to deposit from pole to pole. There are all kinds of late-bloomer traits here (Flores’ size, late arrival to catching this often, and small school background), and it’s possible that Flores will have a peak year or two where he hits 15-plus bombs as a part-time cacher and 1B/DH, just as there will probably also be years where he hits .180 and can’t control the run game.”
Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!
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Connecticut
Connecticut celebrates and sends off three James Beard Award finalists
Connecticut formally sent off three culinarians on Tuesday afternoon in preparation for the nationally recognized James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony.
The sendoff took place at Mystic River Park at 11 a.m., and formally recognized Jade Ayala from the Port of Call in Mystic, chef David DiStasi from Materia Ristorante in Bantam, and chef David Standridge from the Shipwright’s Daughter in Mystic.
The awards ceremony is on Monday, June 15, in Chicago.
“It’s just incredibly gratifying to see the recognition that’s been so long deserved finally come here to the state,” Chef Standridge said, reflecting on the honor.
Chef Standridge and Chef DiStasi are both finalists for Outstanding Chef, while Ayala and the Port of Call are competing in the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverage award.
“Mystic has a really great way of preserving history here, and I’m really just happy and proud to be a part of their story and Mystic’s story here. Thank you for having us,” Ayala said.
The ceremony will be livestreamed through the Connecticut Restaurant Hospitality Association on June 15.
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