Luigi Mangione tells judge he will plead guilty to federal charges
In an unexpected turn of events at an emergency federal court hearing in Manhattan, Luigi Mangione has agreed to plead guilty to federal stalking charges. The 28-year-old’s plea comes as he faces the possibility of life imprisonment for the alleged stalking of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, before Thompson’s tragic murder in December 2024.
NEW YORK — On Friday morning, the courtroom buzzed with heightened tension as Luigi Mangione, the suspected killer, officially entered a guilty plea in federal court. This development follows speculation that his admission might strategically pave the way for a double jeopardy defense just weeks ahead of his state-level murder trial.
According to the prosecution, Mangione is the man identified as wearing a hood on December 4, 2024. He allegedly approached UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson from behind and fatally shot him in the back as Thompson entered a Hilton hotel in Manhattan.
With Mangione’s guilty plea now part of the federal record, his defense team might leverage this for a double jeopardy claim. However, the likelihood of success remains uncertain at this stage.
Surveillance footage from that fateful morning captures a hooded man with a handgun approaching and shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan Hilton hotel on December 4, 2024. The chilling video shows the gunman coming from behind to commit the deadly act. (NYPD)
Judge Margaret Garnett asked Mangione if he understood the maximum sentence he could receive is life in prison. He answered, “Yes.”
He told the judge he called UnitedHealthcare posing as an investor to get information about the conference.
Given the opportunity to address the court, Mangione opted to stay seated.
This 2017 file photo of Brian Thompson was released via Businesswire when he was named Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealthcare Unit in 2017. (Businesswire)
“After years of enduring severe pain from a broken back…I learned UnitedHealthcare would hold an investor’s conference,” he began.
The judge told him to speak louder. Mangione explained that while the specific location of the investor conference wasn’t immediately made public, he researched it online. That’s when he called the company directly.
He said he traveled to the Big Apple with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson pictured in an undated portrait provided by UnitedHealth. The executive was shot from behind and killed on his way to an investor conference in New York City in what prosecutors have described as a politically motivated assassination. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group via AP)
“On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in, Manhattan,” Mangione told the court.
“I knew what I was doing.”
Federal prosecutors summarized some of the evidence they would have introduced at trial — including security camera video they say shows Mangione arriving in New York on a bus, following Thompson around the Hilton on the morning of the murder, and video of the shooting itself.
The video shows a hooded gunman approach Thompson from behind and shoot him in the back. As he falls and turns around, he’s shot again. Then the suspect is seen fleeing on a bicycle.
Investigators recovered Mangione’s DNA and fingerprints at or near the crime scene. Police found the suspected murder weapon in his backpack when he was arrested. They also have cellphone evidence and an eyewitness of the shooting.
FBI Wanted poster in death of Brian Thompson (FBI)
Garnett scheduled a sentencing hearing for Dec. 18.
“Brian Thompson’s life was cut short by an act of violence that devastated everyone who knew and loved him,” a spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group said in a statement. “We are grateful to law enforcement for bringing Brian’s murderer to justice, and our thoughts remain with Brian’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Thompson’s family also issued a statement through a spokesperson:
“Today’s guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family,” it reads. “While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable. Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime. We remain mindful that additional proceedings in New York and Pennsylvania are still to come, and we will continue to seek the justice Brian deserves.”
In addition to the top charges of second-degree murder and stalking resulting in death, Mangione faces a slew of lesser charges, including a number of firearms offenses and carrying a forged ID in both New York and Pennsylvania.
This is a developing story. Stick with News Media for updates.