In a high-profile case that has captured national attention, Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty on Friday to a federal murder charge in connection with the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. This arraignment took place in a Manhattan federal courthouse, where prosecutors formally announced their intention to pursue the death penalty against Mangione. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett cautioned the Justice Department to refrain from making public comments that could jeopardize the integrity of the case.
During the arraignment, the 26-year-old Mangione stood alongside his legal team, leaning toward the microphone at the defense table as Judge Garnett asked if he understood the indictment against him. The indictment charges him with stalking and the fatal shooting of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last December. Mangione responded affirmatively, stating “yes” when asked if he understood the charges, and simply declared “not guilty” when prompted for his plea.
His arraignment drew considerable attention, attracting dozens of supporters and critics alike, including former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who gained notoriety for leaking classified information. Mangione has been held in a federal jail in Brooklyn since his arrest and arrived at court wearing a mustard-colored jail suit. He was seen conversing with his attorney, death penalty counsel Avi Moskowitz, as they awaited the proceedings.
Late Thursday night, federal prosecutors filed a mandatory notice indicating their intent to seek the death penalty in this case. Due to the complexities associated with capital punishment cases, Mangione’s trial is anticipated to progress more slowly than non-death penalty prosecutions. He is scheduled to return to federal court on December 5, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of Thompson’s death. As of now, no trial dates have been established for either the federal or the parallel state murder case.
This announcement followed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s declaration that federal prosecutors would pursue capital punishment, labeling the incident as “an act of political violence” and a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” This marks the first instance since President Donald Trump resumed office that the Justice Department has indicated its intention to seek the death penalty, particularly after a temporary halt in federal executions under the previous administration.
In response to the prosecution's announcement, Mangione's defense team has criticized Bondi’s comments as a “political stunt” that allegedly breached established Justice Department protocols and compromised the grand jury process, thereby infringing upon Mangione’s constitutional right to due process. After the defense raised these concerns again during Friday’s proceedings, Judge Garnett instructed federal prosecutors to communicate to Bondi and other Justice Department officials that court rules prohibit any pretrial publicity that could interfere with a defendant’s right to a fair trial.
The federal indictment against Mangione includes a charge of murder through the use of a firearm, which carries the potential for the death penalty. In addition to murder, the indictment also charges him with stalking and a firearms offense. Mangione, who hails from a prominent Maryland real estate family and is an Ivy League graduate, faces separate federal and state murder charges. Authorities allege that he shot Thompson, aged 50, outside the New York Hilton Midtown on December 4, as Thompson arrived for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference.
The shocking nature of this murder and the subsequent five-day manhunt for Mangione have sent ripples through the business community. Many health insurers have taken precautions by removing photos of their executives from company websites and transitioning to online shareholder meetings. Notably, some critics of the health insurance industry have rallied around Mangione, viewing him as a symbol of public frustration regarding insurance coverage denials and exorbitant medical expenses.
Prosecutors have indicated that the federal and state cases will proceed concurrently, with the state case expected to go to trial first. However, Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, has expressed intentions to prioritize the federal case due to its implications concerning the death penalty.
Mangione was apprehended on December 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, approximately 230 miles west of New York City. Following his arrest, he was swiftly transported to Manhattan by plane and helicopter. Authorities reported that Mangione possessed a 9mm handgun that matched the weapon used in the shooting, along with other items, including a notebook in which he allegedly detailed his animosity toward the health insurance sector and its affluent executives. Prosecutors revealed that the notebook contained alarming entries, including one from August 2024 stating, “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box,” and another from October expressing an intention to “wack” an insurance company CEO.
UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurer in the United States, has stated that Mangione was never a client, further complicating the narrative surrounding this tragic event.
