NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, December 12, 2024

Episode Date: December 13, 2024

Suspect in CEO killing fights extradition to New York; New round of heavy lake effect snow hits Upper Midwest and Northeast; Lawmakers demand answers about mystery drone sightings over several states; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the new details in the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO and how the suspect fled from New York City. The new interview with the NYPD revealing for the first time that suspect Luigi Mangione allegedly used the city's busy subway system to help make his escape. Where he went from there and the ATMs they say he was using along the way for cash. Our new reporting just ahead. Also tonight, the Arctic cold blast sweeping across the eastern half of the way for cash. Our new reporting just ahead. Also tonight, the Arctic cold blast sweeping across the eastern half of the U.S. Lake effect snow snarling highways.

The truck slamming into a fire engine in Michigan. The growing alarm over the mystery drones over New Jersey. Several U.S. senators citing urgent concerns now demanding answers from the FBI, FAA, and Homeland Security. The new accusations against Sean Diddy Combs, three men accusing the music mogul of drugging and sexually assaulting them. The missing American found alive in Syria, what he told our Richard Engel, finally free after months inside one of the regime's prisons.

President-elect Donald Trump ringing the bell on the New York Stock Exchange as Ty names him Person of the Year. And what he's now saying about grocery prices after campaigning on a promise to lower them. And Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke sharing with NBC News how he escaped the Malibu wildfire on the eve of his 99th birth death. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. As New York authorities await the return of Luigi Mangione from Pennsylvania to face charges in the CEO murder, they are not standing still. The NYPD's top-ranking detective revealing to NBC News new details about the route Mangione took to escape the NYPD dragnet formed after the murder, despite the digital trail they were able to build through surveillance photos. The NYPD now says it appears

a suspected killer of Brian Thompson managed to leave Manhattan at a different point in time than first believed, making his way to Pennsylvania with stops that included Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, ultimately caught in Altoona with a supply of cash on hand. Tonight, as a suspect's attorney fights his extradition back to New York, the case potentially taking on dark new avenues as authorities express concern over some of the online reaction to the case, including some who may condone the actions Mangione is accused of. Stephanie Goss now with our new reporting on the case. Tonight, new details about how police say Luigi Mangione fled New York City after allegedly

murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The NYPD said they lost the shooter after he took off from the scene on an e-bike into Central Park, ending up at a bus station in uptown Manhattan. The chief of detectives now says Mangione got on the subway from there and went back downtown, revealing the details in an interview with NBC News' Jonathan Deenst. We believe he may have taken the subway back to Penn Station and then made his way to Philadelphia from there. The chief says he then traveled west to Pittsburgh and then back east to Altoona, withdrawing money from an ATM and paying for everything with cash along the way.

When Mangione was arrested five days after the murder, police say he had thousands of dollars in his bag. He also had this gun, according to police. The chief laying out how the NYPD crime lab matched it to shell casings left behind at the murder scene. That is by an NYPD detective test firing that gun and then matching the ejection marks from the casings to the casings that we fired. He says they still don't know where Mangione got the weapon. The gun itself, it is a ghost gun. It is a receiver that comes from a gun manufacturer from parts, and then the gun was built up from a 3D printer. As the case takes

shape against Mangione in New York, the alleged murderer remains in a Pennsylvania prison. Today, his attorney filed a petition contesting his detention, arguing Pennsylvania has not proven Mangione was in New York the day of the murder or provided probable cause that he was responsible for the crime. A hearing for extradition has been scheduled for December 30th. New York Governor Kathy Hochul says she's been coordinating with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Governor and I both want him brought back to New York as soon as possible. And there is real concern officials say that there could be copycat violence. This incident has created a torrent of online reactions, many of which cross over into a more

uncomfortable realm of territory that we would think of as closer to threats. The support for Mangione ranges from shared anger over the health care industry to actually being sympathetic towards the violence, according to Clint Watts, an expert on cybersecurity. What we're seeing, which is always the most dangerous situation is people either condoning violence or maybe mobilizing to violence. That's where the concern is right now, that contagion effect that could take off. And Stephanie, this was a wide ranging interview with the NYPD. Did they provide

any new insight into what led up to the murder? Yeah, they did. Actually, Lester, they said the family filed a missing persons report on Mangione and added that when he arrived in New York City on November 24th, that was 10 days before the murder, he knew exactly when and where that UnitedHealthcare conference was going to begin. Lester? All right, Stephanie Goss, thank you. Some dramatic scenes from the upper Midwest and Northeast tonight, getting hit by another round of heavy lake effect snow. Some areas getting two to three feet of new snow. Erin McLaughlin now with late details for us.

Tonight in the Midwest and Northeast, yet another winter whiteout and dangerous moments like this. A box truck loses control on a Michigan highway, slamming into a fire engine. Authorities say the driver was taken to the hospital suffering minor injuries. No first responders were hurt. While in New York, officials in one county say they've responded to 50 traffic incidents in the last 24 hours. Tonight, they're urging anyone out on the roads in this to slow down. It's the third lake effect snow warning to strike the region since Thanksgiving. This time, it's so cold, ice balls are filling up this Michigan beach. to slow down. It's the third lake effect snow warning to strike the region since Thanksgiving.

This time it's so cold, ice balls are filling up this Michigan beach. And in western New York, more than 30 inches have dropped in the last 24 hours. So much snow that in Buffalo, it's practice canceled for the Bills. Their stadium blanketed in white after pulling off a snowy victory over the 49ers earlier this month. Meanwhile, hard-hit Erie, Pennsylvania woke up this morning to blizzard-like conditions. The relentless weather is straining infrastructure. Officials say at least eight commercial buildings have either collapsed or partially collapsed under the weight of the snow. A state of emergency remains in place there for a second straight week, with no end in sight to this wintry mess. Erin McLaughlin, NBC News.

There is growing frustration tonight about persistent drone sightings over New Jersey and other states. Members of Congress now demanding answers, asking what are they and do they represent a threat? Ryan Nobles is pressing for answers. This is over my house right now. Tonight, as mysterious drones continue to pop up in the skies over the East Coast. Now it's hovering over my other neighbor's house. Lawmakers in Washington are growing frustrated that the Biden administration isn't explaining what they are. You've seen the Internet's running wild with conspiracy theories.

And do you feel like the administration needs to fill that void? Well, I think they should get out something as quickly as they can. Theories are running wild about what the flying objects may be. One New Jersey congressman said they were being launched by an Iranian mothership off the Atlantic coast. The White House today saying an investigation is underway, but there is no cause for alarm. Right now, there's just no indication that this is some sort of foreign malign activity or in fact, even criminal. Adding the objects being seen in the sky aren't even necessarily drones.

It appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully. And while the Pentagon has said they aren't military drones and they do not come from a foreign threat, senators like New York's Kirsten Gillibrand are demanding more information. We cannot simply say, well, they're not causing any harm. Well, do we know that? What are they doing and who's sending them? The FBI is leading this investigation, getting support from both the FAA and DHS, but none of these agencies are revealing any information as to what their probes have discovered, meaning the mystery of what's up in the sky continues.

Lester. Okay, Ryan, thank you. There are new claims of sexual assault against music mogul Sean Diddy Combs. Three men saying they were raped by him, claims that Combs' lawyers deny. Here's Chloe Malas. Tonight, three men accusing Sean Diddy Combs' lawyers denied. Here's Chloe Malas. Tonight, three men accusing Sean Diddy Combs of rape and sexual assault, according to separate civil lawsuits filed Thursday. The suits allege Diddy plied them with doctored drinks, then attacked them while they were unconscious. They were all very consistent, frighteningly consistent. New York-based attorney Thomas Giffra represents the three anonymous accusers. All three of these guys, same thing. They'd wake up and he'd be raping them. Kind of difficult for me. Tonight, one of the new accusers speaking exclusively to

NBC News. Can you explain to everyone why you don't want to reveal your identity? Well, at the top of the list, it's definitely shameful and embarrassing. In early 2020, he says he met with Combs at a hotel in Times Square, seeking payment for errand-type work he had completed for Diddy. He says the discussion was cordial and he had a drink. Within two minutes, I start to feel like just very tired, very sleepy. You know, mind you, I'm not under the impression that I'm being drugged or anything like that. He says he was so groggy that he laid down on the couch.

When I finally kind of came to, I can feel myself being humped, and I could feel I was penetrated. I'm like, hey, like, what's... And the thing that sticks in my head today, the phrase that just rattles in my brain all the time is, is I'm almost done. Just stop. Just stop moving. I'm almost finished. In a statement to NBC News, Combs' lawyer said, these complaints are full of lies.

We will prove them false and seek sanctions against every unethical lawyer who filed fictional claims against him. There are now more than a dozen civil cases that have been filed against Combs. He remains in jail awaiting trial on federal charges, including sex trafficking, and he has pleaded not guilty. Lester. All right, Chloe Malas, thank you. In Syria tonight, a young American who says he was held for months by the Assad regime is free, though there is still no word about American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years ago. Here's Richard Engel. As we drove through Damascus looking for information about missing American journalist Austin Tice, suddenly a video appeared online. An unidentified group claimed to have found an American who'd been held by the former regime. We immediately contacted our sources.

Information is coming in piecemeal. The latest that we just heard is that, yes, an American was found, but not Tice, a different American who'd been traveling in the region on some sort of pilgrimage. He was in a small house packed with rebels, aid workers, and journalists. And there on the floor was Travis Timmerman from Missouri. As I pushed in, I knocked our microphone, making it buzz. Was it been seven months you've been here?

Yes, I was in prison for seven months. But it's been okay. I'm on a pilgrimage, and that's when I was arrested. Timmerman says he crossed into Syria from Lebanon without a visa. What did they do to you once you were picked up? I was interviewed to see if I was a political actor. But then they cleared me, essentially. And then I was just held in prison.

I wasn't beaten or anything like that. Timmerman was freed on Monday when the rebels overthrew the government and broke into jails to free political prisoners. He was found today walking barefoot and alone. Last night I slept outside, and then the night before that I slept with a friend, and the night before that I slept in an abandoned apartment. Have you been in touch with your family? I haven't, but I plan to do that when I can.

I was excited, but I plan to do that when I can. I was excited, but I was hurt. Late today, we spoke to his mother and stepfather back in the U.S. You always want your kids safe. You know, I don't know. I don't know if he's safe right now. You said this was a religious mission. Was this sort of like following in the footsteps of Jesus, the road to Damascus, that kind of thing? We got to go.

I've heard the word of God. He was taken outside to cheers. Now a free man after his religious journey met the harsh reality of the modern Middle East. Timmerman told us he didn't see any other Americans while held captive by the Assad regime and knows nothing about the whereabouts of Austin Tice. Lester. Richard Engel in Damascus tonight. Thank you. Here at home, President-elect Trump was in New York today ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange after Time magazine named him its person of the year for what it called his comeback of historic proportion. In an interview, Trump seemed

to lower expectations about quickly bringing down grocery prices, saying it's very hard, but I think that they will. In 60 seconds, no one has more Super Bowl wins than Bill Belichick. But can he ace the learning curve of college ball at UNC? That's next. It's official. One of football's all-time greatest coaches is making a comeback, but not to the NFL. Jesse Kirsten on Bill Belichick deciding to give it that old college try. Tonight, one of football's greatest teachers is heading back to school. Bill Belichick, who coached Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, has been officially named the new head football coach at the University of North Carolina. When you love what you do, it's not work. The 72-year-old's Chapel Hill roots run deep.

His father was a Tar Heel assistant in the 1950s. Today, he brought along dad's sweatshirt. One story I always heard was, Billy's first words were, beat Duke. Belichick has close to 50 years of NFL coaching experience, but none at the college level. He's now heading to an often lackluster program. Does Super Bowl success automatically translate to college championship caliber football? Absolutely not. A revolution is happening regarding NIL money, transfer portal. And he's going to have to attract and then retain players, many of whom were 11 or 12 years old the last time he won a Super Bowl. Though Belichick notoriously often looks grouchy, today he was the opposite.

Excited to be here. Excited to be in college football. Tonight, the Tar Heels smiling wide, even if their new coach often does not. Jesse Kirsch, NBC News. Up next, as we continue, they were drowning in medical debt, even losing the value of their home until a health provider reversed course after our reporting. We're back now with a couple getting a new start after a secret struggle with crushing medical debt. Christine Romans on the life-changing news that came after we first reported on this crisis that impacts so many Americans. For 15 years, Gary and Donna Lindeberry worried they'd lose the home they built in the mountains of western North Carolina.

You wake up every day and you wonder, is this going to be my house tonight? It started in 2009. Gary Lindaberry's heart attack required a quadruple bypass. At 64 years old, the retired factory worker didn't have insurance, figuring in six months he'd be eligible for Medicare. i said we don't have the money for this i can't do this he told the doctor he'd just go home and wait he was pretty plain that i didn't have six months i probably didn't have two days the bills for his care totaled close to one hundred thousand dollars i wouldn't have made that in five years the hospital sued the couple for payment putting a lien on their home gary and Donna kept their plight a secret.

Did you tell your kids? No. Both of us come from families that paid their bills. By one estimate, Americans owe $220 billion in medical debt, a leading cause of bankruptcy. The Lindaberrys paid what they could, but barely made a dent. Then came the story of Terry Belk. You weren't running away from these bills. No, I wasn't running away. I was trying to actually pay him. The North Carolina man who was struggling with medical debt he took on for

the cancer treatment of his late wife more than 20 years ago. It's like an avatars around my neck. Now to the growing financial burden for millions of Americans. After Belk's story aired on NBC Nightly News back in September, just a few days later, Belk received a call from the hospital. They're going to be lifting liens and counseling judgments. Not long after Belk had that call, the Lindiberys received their news. I'd say the first thing I felt was just a tremendous weight was gone. Cancellation of judgment. Advocate Health,

the parent company of Atrium, was canceling the judgment against them, zeroing out the $92,000 of debt that was hanging over their heads. We're both just ecstatic. Advocate Health has stopped taking new liens out and is canceling judgments against 11,500 families in six states, totaling millions of dollars. In a statement telling NBC News, quote, removing judgment liens on homes to recover unpaid medical bills was a natural next step in our continuing efforts to make sure patients aren't burdened by medical costs. You built it and then part of it belonged to the health care system, but now it belongs to you again. Yeah, it's ours. The Lindaberry is now free to enjoy their health and their home.

Christine Romans, Vilas, North Carolina. And coming up, how neighbors helped Dick Van Dyke escape from this week's wildfire. The Hollywood legend invites us into his home to talk about it next. There's good news tonight about a Hollywood legend who escaped the Malibu wildfire just as he's getting ready to celebrate a major milestone. Here's Dana Griffin. Yeah. Wow. You want to sit down or? On the eve of his 99th birthday,

beloved actor Dick Van Dyke invited us inside his Malibu home. What a ham. Oh my gosh, she's so sweet. The screen legend known for America's most classic film and television roles. Now sharing the harrowing moment, he narrowly evacuated this week's wildfire in Malibu. I forgot how old I am and I realized I was crawling to get out. What are you like 20 something? Up here. As the wind-driven Franklin fire came down the canyon behind his home. I have a fire hose that hooks up to my pool. Van Dyke tried to douse the house, but it proved too much. I thought, my God, I'm not going to make it out of here because I

was trying to crawl to the car. I had exhausted myself. I couldn't get up. Three neighbors came and carried me out and came back and put out a little fire in the guest house and saved me. Thank God for them. This ring camera capturing Van Dyke and his wife scrambling to flee with their pets. I don't think I would have made it. He credits his fast-acting neighbors for saving his life and home. The Living Museum. Which holds seven decades of showbiz memorabilia. God bless them and thank you for saving my life. A community coming together when they needed each other most. Dana Griffin, NBC News, Malibu, California.

Great to see him and glad all is well. Before we go, we want to honor a longtime member of our family, NBC4 New York's Chuck Scarborough, ending his record-setting run this evening as New York's longest-serving local news anchor. After more than 50 years, we wish Chuck all the best. That's nightly news. Thank you for watching, everyone. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.