Editor’s note: The video above aired on Dec. 10, 2024.
NEW YORK (WPIX) – The parents of Luigi Mangione, the man suspected of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, told law enforcement that they hadn't heard from their son in months.
Mangione's mother reported him missing to San Francisco police two weeks before Thompson's slaying in Midtown, according to John Chell, New York Police Department Chief of Patrol.
Mangione, 26, appeared in a Pennsylvania court on Wednesday, where he contested his extradition to New York to face murder and other charges.
"This is completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people," Mangione said as he was led into court.
He wants a hearing on the extradition, according to Mangione's attorney, Thomas Dickey.
"I don’t want people to jump to these pre-judgment things because nobody would ever want that if they were accused, or one of their loved ones were accused," Dickey said in an interview with Nexstar's NewsNation. "And the big hearing today, I haven’t seen any evidence yet. I don’t even know if this is him or whatever. So we’re going to test those waters and give the government a chance to bring some evidence."
The NYPD is working to assemble a timeline and trace Mangione's whereabouts before and after the shooting. He was taken into custody at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Chell said authorities are reviewing considerable evidence, including what's described as a handwritten manifesto.
The document that Mangione had on him at the time of his arrest said, "Frankly, these parasites had it coming. I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. I wasn’t working with anyone," sources told Nexstar's WPIX.
Mangione intends to plead not guilty to all accusations against him, his attorney said. He recently suffered from a back injury and had surgery, according to reports.
