Who is Karen Friedman Agnifilo? Top NY Attorney Defends Luigi Mangione.
Luigi Mangione, the individual suspected of shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, has engaged Karen Friedman Agnifilo to serve as his legal counsel in a New York courtroom, where he is facing second-degree murder charges.
Agnifilo is a prominent attorney with over twenty years of experience at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where she held various positions, including chief assistant district attorney, head of the trial division, and deputy chief of the sex crimes unit. “She is familiar with every corridor, every judge, and every clerk in the courthouse,” remarked a New York prosecutor to CNN.
Legal experts assert that her extensive insider knowledge of the city’s judicial system, gained from her tenure as a leading prosecutor, will be instrumental in formulating a defense strategy for Mangione, who has been connected by law enforcement to the scene of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan.
Investigators have indicated that the firearm recovered from Mangione during his arrest in Pennsylvania corresponds to the shell casings discovered outside the Hilton Hotel, the site of the homicide. Additionally, police have linked his fingerprints to DNA found on items located near the crime scene.
Authorities are currently in the process of obtaining a warrant from Governor Kathy Hochul (D) to extradite Mangione, who is being held without bail in Pennsylvania, back to New York. Agnifilo, a Georgetown Law graduate and former legal analyst for CNN as well as the acclaimed television series Law and Order, will leverage her extensive experience to represent Mangione in what is anticipated to be one of the most significant legal cases of the year.
“Karen Friedman Agnifilo possesses a three-decade background in criminal justice, litigation, and trials,” her biography for the Agnifilo Intrater LLP law firm states. “Her practice is centered on criminal defense in both state and federal courts, utilizing her vast experience in prosecuting serious violent crimes, including intricate homicide cases, from the initial accusation through investigation, arrest, and trial.”
The biography also highlights her role in establishing several departments at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, including the identity theft bureau. Mangione was found in possession of a fraudulent identification.
