A chilling new detail has emerged in the case against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month.
Federal prosecutors revealed Thursday that Mangione had been planning the murder for weeks before carrying it out, even writing in a notebook that the company’s upcoming investor conference was a perfect opportunity to “wack” an insurance executive.
The notebook, found by authorities after Mangione’s arrest, contains disturbing entries detailing his intentions.
According to the criminal complaint filed on December 19, Mangione had been contemplating the murder as far back as October 22, six weeks before Thompson’s death, and described the investor conference as a “true windfall” for carrying out his plot.
Mangione, 26, was charged in a four-count federal indictment, which includes murder, stalking, and firearms violations. If convicted of the murder, he could face the death penalty.
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The complaint also revealed that Mangione had been focused on targeting the insurance industry, with his notes referencing how “the target is insurance” and that it “checks every box.”
Thompson, 50, was fatally shot by a masked gunman outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel on December 4, the morning of the investor conference.
Federal and state authorities have identified Mangione as the suspect in the killing, and both federal and state prosecutions are set to proceed simultaneously.
Mangione is also facing first- and second-degree murder charges in New York for what prosecutors are calling an act of terrorism.
The former University of Pennsylvania graduate, who comes from a prominent Maryland family, has pleaded not guilty to charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested.
His plea in the New York and federal cases has not yet been filed.