Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Federal Stalking Charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO Killing

Luigi Mangione, 28, pleaded guilty on Friday to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione admitted to trailing Thompson to an investor conference and shooting him on a New York City street in 2024. The incident occurred on December 4, 2024, and Thompson died as a result of the shooting. Mangione made a gun using a 3D printer and posed as an investor at a multibillion-dollar firm to contact UnitedHealthcare for details on the event. He was shackled at the feet but not handcuffed in his beige jail uniform when he entered the Manhattan federal court to enter his guilty plea. Thompson's wife, Paulette, was in the audience and took several deep breaths and repeatedly wiped tears from her eyes as Mangione made his statement. Prosecutors plan to seek a life prison term at Mangione's sentencing, set for December 18. Mangione answered neutrally when asked by U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett whether he understood that he could spend the rest of his life behind bars, saying 'Yes.' Mangione still faces a New York state murder prosecution, which carries the potential for a separate long sentence. In a statement, Thompson's family called the plea 'an important step toward justice' and noted that Mangione still faces other cases. Federal prosecutors did not give Mangione any deal or incentive to plead guilty, and Mangione did not plead guilty to avoid a potential death sentence. Mangione's lawyers did not explain why he chose to plead guilty now, but they quickly sought to have the New York case thrown out on double jeopardy grounds after he entered the plea. The defense argued that Mangione should not face two prosecutions over a 'single tragic event.' The Manhattan district attorney's office, which is handling the state prosecution, said it remains committed to its case and would contest the defense's efforts to shut it down. Surveillance video of the ambush showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind. Police say that 'delay,' 'deny,' and 'depose' were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims. Mangione told the court that he pursued Thompson 'after years of enduring severe pain from a broken back, navigating the obstacles of the health insurance system and witnessing similar experiences of countless others.' Mangione's private writings lambasted health insurers as greedy, according to authorities. Mangione's defense argued that he 'believed that the system had failed him and destroyed his life.' However, authorities say that Mangione's grievances are no excuse for killing. Mangione never was a UnitedHealthcare customer, according to police and the company. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said outside court that 'violence is not a cause. Murder is not a message. And a killer is certainly not a hero.' U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald added that 'there can be no celebrity in assassination.' Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting, when he was spotted at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pa. Police had released various images of the suspected shooter, including one showing his face as he checked into a hostel. Mangione's lawyers got the federal murder charge dismissed, but the judge also delivered some setbacks to the defense, ruling in January that prosecutors could use items collected from Mangione's backpack during his arrest as evidence against him. The case has been heading toward a September trial, but his lawyers' new bid to dismiss it could complicate the timeline.