Luigi Mangione appears in New York court as he faces new federal murder charges

The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, as ITV News' Robert Moore reports

The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has appeared in front of a New York court faced with new federal charges of murder and stalking.

Luigi Mangione agreed to return to New York on Thursday during an extradition hearing in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested last week after five days on the run.

The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson on December 4 outside a Manhattan hotel.

The new complaint against Mangione includes quotes of some of the writings in a notebook prosecutors say was found on him, expressing “hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular”.

One of the federal charges against him, murder by firearm, could bring the possibility of the death penalty. While New York outlawed capital punishment in 2004, it is still legal at a federal level.

However, federal prosecutors have not said whether they'll pursue this.

New federal charges against Mangione, following his previous indictment on state charges, mark an escalation in the case. His attorney said dealing with both the state and federal cases puts the defense in a highly unusual situation.

“Frankly I’ve never seen anything like what is happening here,” said Karen Friedman Agnifilo.

In federal court on Thursday, Mangione shifted his head but otherwise did not react when the magistrate read the part of the complaint accusing him of killing Thompson.

Mangione was handed over to New York Police Department officers earlier on Thursday, who were waiting in the courtroom during the extradition hearing in Pennsylvania.

He was then taken to the airport where he boarded a small plane used by the NYPD, and was bound for the New York area.

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Blair County District Attorney Pete Weeks said he wanted to turn Mangione over to New York authorities as soon as possible.

Weeks said he was willing to put the Pennsylvania charges, which include gun and forgery offences, on hold.

“He is now in their custody. He will go forth with New York to await trial or prosecution for his homicide and related charges in New York," he said.

In a New York state indictment filed earlier this week, Mangione was charged with murder as an act of terrorism, which carries a possible sentence of life in prison without parole. New York does not have the death penalty.

Authorities have said Mangione was carrying a gun “consistent with the weapon” used to kill Thompson, a passport, fake IDs and about $10,000 when he was arrested on December 9 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Mangione was carrying a handwritten letter that called health insurance companies “parasitic” and complained about corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press last week.

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