Luigi Mangione Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of CEO Brian Thompson

NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, 26, pleaded not guilty to federal stalking and murder charges on Friday in connection with the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The plea was entered during a hearing in Manhattan federal court.

<p.Mangione appeared in court wearing mustard-colored prison garb and shortening hair. He responded with single-word answers when asked by Judge Margaret Garnett to stand and plead. If convicted, he faces the death penalty.

Defense attorney Karen Agnifilo informed the judge that an erroneous call was made between her and Mangione, prompting a request for an update from federal prosecutors next month concerning access to calls.

<p.Thompson was shot on December 4 while walking outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Mangione allegedly approached and shot Thompson from behind during an investors' conference. Following a five-day manhunt, he was arrested in a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Two shell casings found at the scene contained the words “deny,” “depose,” and “delay,” indicative of Mangione’s motive against the healthcare industry, prosecutors said. Last week, Mangione was charged with four counts, including two counts of stalking and one count of murder by firearm.

Federal prosecutors announced their intent to seek the death penalty, citing the premeditated nature of the crime and the threat Mangione poses to society. They mentioned evidence that Mangione expressed intentions to provoke widespread resistance against the healthcare industry.

Amid growing public support for Mangione, attributed to discontent with the for-profit healthcare system, some supporters have rallied outside the courthouse, referencing their dissatisfaction with healthcare practices. They believe Mangione embodies their struggle against high healthcare costs and policy failures.

Meanwhile, prominent politicians have condemned Mangione’s actions, describing them as indefensible. Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro remarked, “In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint.”

The next hearing date has been scheduled for December 5, as Mangione faces separate state charges in New York and Pennsylvania related to the murder and subsequent manhunt.