Luigi Mangione, the man charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, said key evidence against him may have been planted by authorities.
Mangione made the comments disputing two pieces of evidence during his first court appearance on Monday evening after his arrest by police at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s the same day.
Prosecutors highlighted “about $10,000 — $8,000 in U.S. dollars and then $2,000 in foreign currency that was found on his person,” CNN correspondent Danny Freeman said following the court hearing.
“Also they said that he had a Faraday bag,” which blocks cell signals, a move that prosecutors alleged marked “an indication of criminal sophistication and reason they should hold him on bail,” Freeman continued.
After prosecutors made the claims, Mangione said he would like to “correct two things.”
“I don’t know where any of that money came from — I’m not sure if it was planted. And also, that bag was waterproof, so I don’t know about criminal sophistication,” the suspect said in a statement that suggested police framed him.
The court appearance on Monday evening marked the first time the entire criminal complaint had been read to Mangione, according to the 26-year-old suspect.
Mangione’s family said they were “shocked” by his arrest in a statement following his capture by authorities.
“Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione,” the family said. “We only know what we have read in the media.”
Although a host of eyewitness accounts and video camera footage recorded Mangione’s movements before and after Thompson was killed in New York City on Wednesday, police said they were unable to locate him until a McDonald’s employee identified the suspect at a Pennsylvania franchise nearly a week later.
While authorities have said Mangione “does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America,” they have yet to identify a clear motive in the case.
Mangione’s profile on LinkedIn and other websites paints the picture of a fairly average young man.
“Nothing strange,” Nam Vu, an acquaintance of Mangione, said. “He was a nice guy.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Mangione is being held without bail at the State Correctional Institute in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, before he is extradited back to New York.
His next court appearance is expected to be on Dec. 23 in Pennsylvania.
