Luigi Mangione appoints star lawyer 'who knows every judge in NY' in Brian Thompson murder case

High-profile lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who is said to know 'every corridor, every judge, every clerk in the courthouse', will be representing Luigi Mangione in New York

The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has named a powerful New York lawyer as his defence attorney.

Luigi Mangione was arrested on Monday, December 9, after an employee at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, phoned police saying that there was a man eating breakfast in the restaurant who looked like the person being sought as the gunman. He now faces a second-degree murder charge over the fatal shooting of Mr Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on December 4.

Mangione is represented by lawyer Thomas Dickey in Pennsylvania, but he has now retained attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo to represent him in New York, sources have said. The high-profile lawyer, who has extensive experience in New York City's criminal justice system, has worked in private practice since 2021.

One long-time New York prosecutor told CNN the lawyer "knows every corridor, every judge, every clerk in the courthouse." The source added: "She's got as much experience as any human being, especially in the state court."

The new attorney will be taking on the case after prosecutors amassed new evidence in recent days, with police saying the 3D-printed gun Mangione had on him when he was arrested matches the three shell casings found at the crime scene in NYC. Police also said his fingerprints matched those found on items near the scene of the shooting.

Mangione remains in custody in Pennsylvania as he fights extradition to New York. But according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, there is a possibility Mangione "may waive" his extradition next week. On Tuesday, he was denied bail. In addition to the murder charge, Mangione is also facing four other charges, including one count of forging a document and criminally possessing a firearm.

Earlier this week, defence attorney Dickey said his client would plead not guilty to murder charges in NYC and to illegal firearm and forgery charges in Pennsylvania. "We've pled not guilty, at least to the charges in Pennsylvania. Like I said I'm not aware of any actual charges in New York," Dickey said.

He added: "I'm telling you as his lawyer, he didn't have any representation until I got involved this afternoon. And I'm telling you he's pleading not guilty." He added that he "hasn't seen any evidence that Mangione is the shooter." He added: "I have not seen one scintilla, one speck, one drop of any evidence yet. So, it's what I decided, I think, was in our best interest to do today."

After Mangione's courtroom outburst on Tuesday, where he exclaimed it was an "insult to the intelligence of the American people," his lawyer Dickey advised him to "shut his mouth," noting: "Which is good, that's what he needs to do. Hopefully there won't be anymore of that."

Dickey also expressed his belief that Mangione should have been granted bail at the hearing, questioning if the second-degree murder charge in New York might be eligible for bail under Pennsylvania law. "To simply say no bail, with all due respect to the judge, I believe bail should have been set," Dickey said.