Luigi Mangione wants laptop in jail cell to 'properly help prepare his defense,' lawyers say
Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood last year, has asked for a laptop while he awaits trial in jail.
A court filing made public late on Monday showed that Mangione, 26, wants a laptop for legal purposes, according to The Associated Press. His lawyers proposed that one be configured for him so that he can view documents and other material related to his murder case.
Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office are "frowning on the laptop request" as they say witnesses have been threatened, according to Mangione's lawyers via The AP, though defense lawyer Karen Frieman Agnifilo said the alleged threats have no connection to the accused killer.
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If Mangione is approved to have a laptop, it would be extremely limited with no access to the internet, games, movies or other entertainment, according to the court filing.
He would, however, have access to more than 15,000 pages of documents and thousands of hours of video related to his case that prosecutors turned over to his attorneys.
If he is not approved, he can view all the same material when he is meeting with his lawyers, who argue that there aren't enough visiting hours in the day for Mangione to do that in a way that would "properly help prepare his defense."
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Mangione, a 2020 graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, is accused of shooting Thompson to death outside a Manhattan hotel in December 2024.
Thompson, a 50-year-old husband and father of two, was at the hotel preparing to attend an investor conference held by UnitedHealthcare when he was gunned down from behind on the sidewalk.
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Thompson's murder sent shockwaves across the insurance industry and prompted some companies to remove biographies of top leadership members from their websites.
The crime also unveiled a strange wave of support for Mangione as many Americans cited frustration with health insurance and the way the industry operates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.