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.
APAccused CEO killer Luigi Mangione, seen in February, pleaded not guilty to federal charges on Friday[/caption]
GettyMangione’s supporters have flocked to the courthouse to protest as the Department of Justice vows to pursue the death penalty[/caption]
ReutersFans of the alleged assassin held up signs calling for his freedom[/caption]
ReutersArtist Scott LoBaido’s protests next to an artwork called ‘Deep fried Luigi’ outside the United States Court in Manhattan[/caption]
Mangione is facing both state and federal charges for allegedly murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on December 4.
Federal prosecutors have indicated in a filing that he could face the death penalty if he’s convicted of murder.
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, The Guardian reported.
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 argued that, with the death penalty potentially on the line, the federal trial should be prioritized.
However, a final decision wasn’t 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 that called for his freedom and criticized the death penalty.
Meanwhile, dissenting artist Scott LoBaido showed up with a sculpture that appeared to call for Mangione’s conviction.
The artwork consisted of a model skeleton wearing a Luigi outfit and strapped to an electric chair. LoBaido said the title was “Deep fried Luigi.”
In a line waiting to enter the courtroom stood whistleblower Chelsea Manning, a transgender ex-United States Army soldier who was imprisoned for disclosing information to WikiLeaks.
No cameras were allowed in the federal courtroom.
LETTERS DOCUMENTED
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.”
AFPChelsea Manning, a whistleblower convicted of sharing sensitive government information, showed up outside the courtroom[/caption]
GettySupporters of Mangione put up massive signs[/caption]
AFPUnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered while walking into an investor meeting[/caption]
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 investors 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.
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