Luigi Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has hired high-profile attorney Karen Friedman-Agnifilo for his defense. Interestingly, Ms. Friedman-Agnifilo’s husband, Mark Agnifilo, is currently representing rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs in his ongoing sex trafficking case.
Who is Karen Friedman-Agnifilo?
- Karen Friedman-Agnifilo served as Chief Assistant District Attorney of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, overseeing approximately 500 attorneys, 700 support staff, and 80,000 cases annually, according to their website. She was responsible for policy matters including the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative, which included an $800 million investment in the Criminal Asset Forfeiture Fund to improve public safety and promote a fair justice system.
- Ms. Karen Friedman-Agnifilo graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1992.
- After serving as General Counsel to the New York City Mayor’s Criminal Justice Coordinator, she re-joined the Manhattan DA’s Office in 2010 as Acting ADA and Chief of the Trial Division. There, he managed multi-agency criminal justice projects and shaped New York City’s criminal justice policies.
- Ms. Friedman-Agnifilo has worked on a variety of high-profile issues including human trafficking, sexual assault, domestic violence, juvenile justice, fraud, and mental health. She has also been involved in technology-related criminal justice projects.
- He served for 14 years as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, including four years as deputy chief of the sex crimes unit. He also worked in the Homicide Investigation Unit, Family Violence and Child Abuse Bureau, and the Asian Gang Unit.
- She joined her husband’s private firm, Agnifilo Intrater LLP, in 2021.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested on Monday after a five-day manhunt. Police found him at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania after an employee recognized him. He is accused of shooting and killing Brian Thompson, 50, near the Hilton Hotel on Sixth Avenue during UnitedHealthcare’s investor conference earlier this month.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and gun possession. Currently he is being kept in Pennsylvania.
