Dedicated Luigi Mangione fans have been left disappointed after learning they won’t be able to catch a glimpse of the alleged killer in court.
Mangione, who is accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 in Manhattan, is set to return to court Friday – but he won’t be seen.
Unlike his last appearance, where a slew of fans came out to support him, the 26-year-old will be in federal court where photography and video footage is strictly prohibited.
Now, his supporters – who have previously gushed over his sockless loafers and chic courtroom sweaters – will have to rely solely on descriptions from reports and court sketches.
Even his entrance into the courtroom will be very restricted as he will most likely be brought inside from a vehicle in the garage because he is a high-profile defendant.
While fans have previously gone wild over seeing his outfits, others advocating for Mangione’s fair trial welcomed the federal court’s rules.
‘He doesn’t have to be paraded just some internet breaking sessions. I wish him to have a swift legal hearing. Good luck, lu and his legal team,’ one wrote online.
Another said that it shouldn’t all be about getting a chance to see him in court, the focus should be on ‘his life and freedom.’
‘I hope the [death penalty] can be dropped and I hope that he has a good hearing. I wish him the best of luck and hopefully these charges will be dropped,’ someone else said.
He was previously greeted by star-struck fans on February 21 when he entered Manhattan Criminal Court for his status hearing.
One woman who locked eyes with Mangione as he left the courtroom that day told DailyMail.com it felt like an ‘out of body experience.’
Hailey Viviani, 23, said she thought to herself ‘oh my god’ as the alleged killer stared her down as he walked out following the hearing.
Speaking afterward Viviani, a cashier from Staten Island, New York, said: ‘To see him with the shackles on his hands and his arms, it was dehumanizing. They’re treating him like he’s a terrible person and it’s really sad to see.
‘Seeing it online is one thing but seeing it in the flesh.’
Asked what it was like to see Mangione in person, Viviani said: ‘Honestly it was like an out-of-body experience. I’ve seen all the videos but this was the first time I’ve attended a court date.’
Outside court, a crowd of around 150 people chanted ‘Free Luigi’ and held up posters and a flag with Mangione’s face. Some even wore Super Mario Bros character Luigi’s famous hat.
His fans range from those who think he’s innocent, to those who believe he’s guilty and love him for it.
Mangione was arrested in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania after a multi-day manhunt for the suspect.
He denied the charges and pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges on December 23 for the killing of Thompson.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Marc Agnifilo, and Jacob Kaplan are representing Mangione.
Agnifilo was met with a resounding applause from Mangione’s supporters when she entered the courtroom two months ago.
She argued that her client’s constitutional rights may have been violated when officers arrested him and seized his belongings.
It was also argued that the defense hadn’t received critical evidence from the prosecution and claimed that Mangione’s right to a fair trial was impacted.
Mangione’s team told Judge Gregory Carro that they didn’t have enough access to their client while he has been held in a Brooklyn federal detention center.
Mangione sat in court with his hands and ankles shackled, as Judge Carro denied the defense’s request to remove them.
Following his appearance, prosecutors claimed Mangione chose to go barefoot in his loafers because he ‘did not like’ how his socks looked.
Many of his fans were stunned by his fashion choice and prosecutors revealed the real reason behind it after requests from his lawyers in March.
Most jailed defendants wear jail uniforms at routine court dates, but Mangione was allowed to change into clothes brought by his legal team.
However, prosecutors said they found his adoring fans snuck notes into his socks, which he then opted not to wear during his appearance.
A court officer intercepted the heart-shaped note, which urged the accused killer to ‘know there are thousands of people wishing you luck,’ according to prosecutor Joel Seidemann.
The note – plus another heart-shaped message addressed to someone called ‘Joan’ – was hidden in a piece of cardboard at the center of a new pair of Argyle socks. It’s not clear who wrote the note or slipped it into the socks.
Mangione could face the death penalty if convicted of Thompson’s murder, Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged on April 1.
Bondi said in a statement that her office would push for the ultimate punishment, describing Thompson’s assassination in December as ‘premeditated and cold-blooded’.
‘After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again,’ Bondi said.
Mangione was met with an outpouring of support after his arrest as morbid fans vented their fury with the healthcare system, and Bondi said in her statement that she believes Thompson’s murder was ‘an act of political violence’.
‘Mangione’s actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons,’ Bondi said.
Mangione remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, and is housed in the same unit as other famous faces including Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
A legal donation fund that was created soon after Mangione was arrested has since amassed more than $900,000 – nearly reaching its goal of $1 million.
In March he received a massive donation of $36,5000 from an anonymous donor who left an enigmatic message.
‘What intrigues me about this case is how unified folks’ responses are regardless of strata,’ the mystery donor said.
‘In Corporate America, for instance, there has been widespread doubt of potential prosecutorial mishandling and overcharging.
‘I’ve also been surprised at the almost ubiquitous nature of support towards the suspect that I would expect to be quite bifurcated in this type of litigation. Quite exceptional.’