Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in Manhattan to stalking charges in connection with the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, admitting for the first time in open court that he tracked Thompson’s location by posing as a potential investor and then shot him in the back on a New York City street.
“I emailed UnitedHealthcare with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson,” Mangione, 28, told the court in his allocution. “On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024 I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan in his back.” He said he “understood my actions would place [Thompson] in fear of death and bodily injury” and that he “knew what I was doing was illegal.” Mangione also told the judge he was driven to kill Thompson by his experience as a patient navigating the healthcare system after a back injury, though prosecutors have previously noted he had no personal connection to UnitedHealthcare and was never a customer.
Thompson’s family, who attended the hearing, issued a rare public statement afterward calling it “an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family.” They called on the court to ensure sentencing “reflects the severity of this crime.”
What Comes Next: Sentencing and the State Case
Mangione pleaded guilty to two federal counts — interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death. He entered what prosecutors described as an “open plea,” meaning he pleaded guilty to all counts in the federal indictment without any agreement or concessions from prosecutors.
“There are no accommodations or concessions, and we are free to seek the maximum penalty under the law,” said Manhattan US Attorney James McDonald outside the courthouse. Prosecutors will seek life in prison — the steepest sentence available under the federal charges. The federal sentencing guidelines suggest a range of 24 to 30 years, but prosecutors said they intend to push for the maximum. A separate sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 18th, with the final sentence at the full discretion of US District Court Judge Margaret Garnett.
Separately, Mangione still faces state murder charges in New York Supreme Court, where a trial is scheduled to begin September 8th. His guilty plea in federal court is expected to trigger a double jeopardy fight: his defence team filed a motion in state court on Friday arguing the federal and state cases cover the same alleged conduct and that proceeding with the state trial would violate New York’s double jeopardy protections. That legal challenge could delay the state trial and may extend through the appeals courts.
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The December 2024 Killing and Its Aftermath
Thompson was shot outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024, as it was hosting a UnitedHealthcare investor conference — the same event Mangione had emailed the company about under false pretences to confirm its location and Thompson’s presence. Thompson, a father of two who led the nation’s largest health insurer, was killed leaving for the event that morning.
Mangione was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. Authorities found in his backpack a notebook detailing apparent grievances against the healthcare industry. At the scene of the shooting, shell casings were recovered with the words “delay,” “deny,” “depose” written on them — a reference to the tactics critics say health insurers use to avoid paying claims.
Thompson’s killing sparked a broad public conversation about the US healthcare system and widespread frustration over denied insurance claims. Mangione drew a significant following online in the immediate aftermath of his arrest, with supporters framing his alleged motive — grievance against the insurance industry — as a form of protest. Thompson’s family has reportedly received threats believed to be connected to Mangione’s online following.
A death penalty charge — using a firearm to commit murder — that had previously been part of the federal indictment was dismissed earlier this year by a judge.
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