Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty Friday in New York federal court to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione faces the possibility of a death sentence if convicted.
Thompson was shot and killed on December 4, 2024, while walking into the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan, where UnitedHealth Group was hosting an investor event. Mangione, a 26-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Federal prosecutors have charged Mangione with murder through use of a firearm, two counts of stalking, and a firearms offense. During Friday’s hearing before Judge Margaret Garnett, Luigi Mangione formally entered his not guilty plea.
The Justice Department notified the court on Thursday that it intends to seek the death penalty, citing Mangione’s alleged ideological motives. Prosecutors claim Mangione targeted Thompson to amplify a political message against the health insurance industry and carried out the killing with substantial planning and premeditation.
In a filing, prosecutors argued that Mangione’s actions were intended to “maximize the visibility and impact” of the murder and “provoke broad-based resistance” to the industry. They also cited Mangione’s alleged attempts to evade law enforcement and his possession of a privately manufactured firearm and silencer.
Attorney General Pam Bondi previously announced the government’s intent to pursue the death penalty, calling the murder a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” Thompson was a father of two young children.
Mangione’s defense attorneys have filed a motion to block the death penalty, arguing that Bondi’s public statements prejudiced the potential jury pool and violated Mangione’s due process rights.
On Friday, Judge Garnett issued a warning to both sides, directing attorneys to avoid any public commentary that could compromise Mangione’s right to a fair trial. She specifically instructed the government to relay this warning to Attorney General Bondi and Department of Justice officials.
The case remains ongoing.
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