Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty in the assassination of UnitedHeathcare CEO Brian Thompson on Monday. Following the plea, an uptick in donations to Mangiones legal defense fund rolled in on the crowdfunding site GiveSendGo. At present, the sum sits at a staggering $212,426.We are not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right of fair legal representation, a statement on the crowdfunding page reads. GoFundMe, another popular crowdfunding site, previously pulled all campaigns supporting Mangione.While the public response to the alleged killer has ranged from utter vitriol to admiration, the fact that so many have rushed to donate to Mangiones defense further demonstrates how many feel sympathetic to the alleged killer, or even agree with the cause hes become the face of. So does a recent survey from NORC at the University of Chicago, which found that, while 8 out of 10 U.S. adults believe the person who killed Brian Thompson bears the responsibility for the murder, 7 in 10 shared the belief that healthcare companies are also to blame. They said that proceedings like healthcare denials for coverage bear a moderate amount of responsibility for the Dec. 4 slaying.Regardless of public opinion, the 26-year-old Maryland man now faces 11 counts, including three murder charges, and a terrorist charge. Last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office is prosecuting the case, said the crime was a killing that was intended to evoke terror. Prosecutors have also brought a four-count criminal complaint that could invoke the death penalty.Anna Schecter, who covers crime and safety for CBS News, told the outlet in an on-air interview that there is a possibility under a Trump department of justice that the death penalty could be sought, though it would be highly unusual. Schecter pressed that the death penalty is typically reserved for terrorist charges, and interestingly, the only terrorism charge hes facing is coming from the Manhattan District Attorneys officethat first degree murder charge, rather than any federal charges.In court on Monday, Mangiones attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo told the judge that, although her client has cooperated with law enforcement every step of the way, Mangione is being treated like a guilty man before his trial has begun. The attorney blasted the New York City Mayor Eric Adams for joining Mangiones perp walk alongside armed NYPD, which she pressed was purely political fodder.There was no reason for the NYPD and everybody to have these big assault rifles (during his extradition) that, frankly, I had no idea was in their arsenal, Friedman Agnifilo told the judge. He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest staged perp walk Ive ever seen in my career.Schecter says that, given how much evidence is stacked against Mangione, including DNA evidence and surveillance footage, she doesnt see any other pathway than an insanity plea. Theres no question that prosecutors think he pulled the trigger, she explained. The question for his attorneys, she pressed, will be how is his defense team going to try and get the lightest sentence possible?While the public will certainly be watching Mangiones case closely, healthcare companies, which have received increased scrutiny since Dec. 4, are also under the microscope. Even before Thompsons murder, recent pointed criticisms of UnitedHealthcare were making headlines. In October, a Senate subcommittee report criticized UnitedHealthcare, and insurers CVS and Humana, for using technology to limit coverage while boosting profits.Medicare Advantage insurers are intentionally targeting a costly but critical area of medicinesubstituting judgment about medical necessity with a calculation about financial gain, the report reads.