A Duke alumna will have a pivotal role in the case of Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League graduate accused of killing UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Officer Brian Thompson in a Dec. 4 shooting.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker, who is presiding over Mangione’s federal pretrial hearings, graduated cum laude from Duke with a Bachelor of Arts in history in 1989. As the pretrial judge, she oversees preliminary hearings regarding the use of evidence but is not expected to preside over Mangione’s trial.
Mangione’s federal charges include two counts of stalking, one count of a firearms offense and one count of murder through the use of a firearm, the latter of which carries the potential for a death sentence.
Mangione is also facing charges at the state level in Pennsylvania and New York. He pleaded not guilty to the New York state charges Monday.
Who is Katharine Parker?
During Parker’s time at Duke, she was a member of the club rowing team, a summer 1989 night editor for The Chronicle, a candidate for Young Trustee and a member of the Chi Omega sorority. She earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Fordham University in 1992.
After graduating, Parker clerked for Warren Eginton, U.S. district judge for the District of Connecticut. She then joined Proskauer Rose LLP as an associate — later becoming a partner at the firm — where she practiced labor and employment law and chaired several legal practice groups. Her litigation career also included cases related to fair housing, non-compete agreements and civil rights issues.
At Proskauer, Parker was elected a fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and named on the Best Lawyers in America list for seven consecutive years. She has also served as chair of the Disability Law Committee for the New York City Bar and received numerous awards for pro bono work and charitable service.
In 2016, Parker was appointed to her current role as federal magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York.
Parker’s husband, Bret Parker, served as vice president and assistant general counsel of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals from 2004 until 2009. When Wyeth was acquired by Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical company, he retained a transitional role at the company until 2010, according to a LinkedIn page under his name.
Mangione’s arrest and charges
Mangione, a 26-year-old who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science, faces an 11-count indictment in New York — which includes state charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Mangione also faces five counts in Pennsylvania, which include possession of an unlicensed firearm, providing false identification to police and forgery.
The charges against Mangione follow the highly publicized fatal shooting of Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec. 4.
A masked gunman — who was “lying in wait,” according to Jessica Tisch, New York Police Department commissioner — shot Thompson in the back and calf just before 7 a.m. Thompson, who was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m., was believed to be commuting to a hotel hosting a UnitedHealthcare investors’ conference.
Several news outlets reported that shell casings at the scene of the killing were marked with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” though authorities later clarified that the casings said “delay” and not “defend.”
“Delay, Deny, Defend” is the title of a 2010 book by Jay Feinman, distinguished professor emeritus at Rutgers Law School, about strategies used by insurance companies to deny claims. The terms reflect verbiage that has become commonly used by critics of the health insurance industry in particular.
Mangione was arrested Dec. 9 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a several-day manhunt.
According to federal prosecutors, Mangione had a notebook at the time of his arrest expressing grievances with the health care industry and wealthy executives. Prosecutors allege that it included language stating that “the target is insurance,” detailing the author’s intent to “wack” an insurance company CEO at an investor conference and noting “to the feds” that the suspect was working individually.
Additionally, Mangione was found in possession of a 3D-printed pistol and a black silencer, according to police. The gun, which appeared to have no serial number, is now undergoing “ballistic testing” to determine whether it aligns with the weapon used to kill Thompson.
Federal prosecutors claim that Mangione had planned the attack over several months with the goal of drawing attention to insurance industry practices.
Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, described the state and federal prosecutors as representing “warring jurisdictions,” claiming that she was “very concerned” about Mangione’s right to a fair trial. She accused the prosecutors of presenting “conflicting theories,” politicizing Mangione’s case and treating him like a “spectacle.”
“Is there one case? Two cases? Two investigations? Is it a joint investigation?” Friedman Agnifilo reportedly asked Parker during a Dec. 19 appearance in federal court.
In particular, Friedman Agnifilo criticized law enforcement officials for what she described as “the biggest-staged perp walk [she’d] ever seen in [her] career” on Dec. 19, which was attended by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
“It was absolutely unnecessary. He’s been cooperative with law enforcement,” Friedman Agnifilo said, also suggesting that the mayor’s presence was “political” and criticizing him for speaking with “future potential jurors.”
Adams is currently facing a five-count federal indictment that includes charges of bribery and fraud, for which he appeared before Parker to plead not guilty in September.
Mangione is expected to appear in federal court Jan. 18 and in New York state court Feb. 21. According to prosecutors, the New York case is anticipated to go to trial first, and the Pennsylvania case is planned to be revisited following the adjudication of Mangione’s murder charges.
He is currently being held without bail at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Discourse surrounding rising health costs
Following his arrest, Mangione has become the subject of a widespread public support campaign — which has included “Free Luigi” merchandise, legal defense funds and courthouse protests. The support comes alongside public expressions of frustration with high health care costs and frequent health insurance claim denials.
A September survey by consulting firm Mercer found that U.S. employers anticipate health insurance costs will rise 5.8% on average in 2025, which would mark the third consecutive year of over-five-percent increases in health care costs for employers.
The American Medical Association recently reported that U.S. health spending increased by 4.1% in 2022 to $4.5 trillion — $13,493 per capita — compared to the previous year. Between 1962 and 2022, percent GDP spent on health care costs in the U.S. increased from 5% to 17%.
An analysis from independent research organization KFF found that 17% of in-network health insurance claims were denied in 2021 across “HealthCare.gov insurers” with complete data, though rates varied “drastically” among plan issuers. A separate 2023 KFF survey found that 18% of insured adults experienced claim denials in the previous year, with the highest denial rate reported by those with employer-sponsored insurance plans compared to those with government-issued or marketplace plans.
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Michael Austin
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Managing Editor
Michael Austin is a Trinity junior and managing editor of The Chronicle’s 120th volume.
Parker, who graduated from Duke Law School with honors, has built a reputation as a fair and impartial judge with a keen understanding of the law. Her previous experience as a prosecutor and defense attorney gives her a unique perspective on criminal cases, making her well-equipped to handle the complexities of the Mangione trial.
As the legal world watches closely, Katharine Parker stands as a shining example of the caliber of talent produced by Duke University. Her commitment to upholding the law and ensuring a fair trial for all involved is a testament to her character and dedication to justice.
Stay tuned as we continue to follow the developments in the federal case against Luigi Mangione, with Judge Katharine Parker at the helm.
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Prince Harry at a summit held at the Clinton Global Initiative during his engagements in New YorkReuters
