Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson in a brazen December 4 attack near Times Square, has agreed to extradition to New York.

This decision came after Mr Mangione initially signalled he would contest the move, according to his Pennsylvania lawyer.  

Mr Mangione’s agreement paved the way for his transfer to a New York City jail, where he is expected to face arraignment on Friday for a first-degree murder charge. 

According to the New York Times, he may also face federal charges, though the details of those allegations remain unclear.  

The shocking crime unfolded early in the morning as Mr Thompson, a healthcare executive, was en route to an investor meeting. 

Mr Mangione waited outside a hotel and fatally shot Thompson, triggering a five-day manhunt. 

He was eventually apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, at a McDonald’s, where he was reportedly having breakfast after being unable to find a room at a nearby motel. 

Authorities have suggested that the killing was not random but a calculated act tied to Mr Mangione’s grievances against the healthcare industry. 

The manifesto allegedly authored by Mr Mangione and recovered at his arrest described Mr Thompson’s murder as a “symbolic takedown” of what he called corruption within the industry.  

“Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming,” the manifesto reportedly stated, further fuelling speculation about Mr Mangione’s motives.  

Mr Mangione, who has now retained a high-profile New York defence lawyer, displayed resistance during a recent court appearance in Pennsylvania, physically struggling with officers as he entered the courthouse.