Suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione has a cult following that has not only donated hundreds of thousands to his defense, his supporters are also saying his prosecution for a murder caught on camera is part of a “corporate-backed narrative” and that the case against him is “unprecedented.” This comes as mainstream media is ripped for buying into the hype.

On Dec. 4, 2024, a masked assailant approached UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson from behind and opened fire. Surveillance video shows the cold-blooded attack and a female bystander running in fear as the killer nonchalantly walks off before taking a meandering path uptown through Central Park.

Police have accused Mangione of being the man in the video. They say he made his way out of town and laid low until people at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, recognized him from a wanted poster and called police five days after the slaying.

Luigi Mangione shouts while officers restrain him as he arrives for his extradition hearing at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pa., on Dec. 10, 2024. (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)

Even legal experts who do not number among his defenders have criticized the massive police presence at his perp walk, when he arrived in New York City via helicopter and was met by the mayor, the NYPD commissioner and dozens of officers in tactical gear.

“The prep walk was just out of control,” said Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and criminal justice professor at Penn State-Lehigh Valley. “This isn’t like you’re walking the guy out of the precinct and you got to get him into a car. This was such a staged event.”

Typically, photographers line up outside a police building and hope to get a picture of a suspect as he is escorted by a couple of detectives to or from a police vehicle for a booking or court appearance. In Mangione’s case, police set up a massive reception.

Police escort Luigi Mangioni after his arrival in New York City by helicopter on Dec. 19, 2024. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

The optics likely won’t affect the case, Giacalone said, but some of the theatrics would have been better suited for the arrest of the Son of Sam serial killer, David Berkowitz.

“They made a production out of it,” Giacalone said, adding that having the tactical team present was actually a reasonable move due to Mangione’s widespread support.

Mangione comes from a wealthy family, attended a private high school and has an Ivy League bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He has a top-tier private attorney.

Supporters say they have raised nearly $300,000 for his legal defense.