Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, entered a plea of not guilty on Friday to all federal charges against him in the case, which include murder, two counts of stalking, and a firearms offense.
[Original story, published at 1:17 a.m. ET]
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday to enter a plea regarding charges of stalking and murder.
This court appearance occurred approximately one week after a federal grand jury issued an indictment against Mangione on four federal counts related to the December 4th killing of the insurance executive.
The targeted shooting of Thompson, who was en route to a UnitedHealthcare investors’ conference in New York, has elicited a significant outpouring of support for Mangione from individuals expressing profound frustration and anger towards the American for-profit health care system.
Mangione’s previous court appearance in February drew a considerable number of supporters, many of whom demonstrated solidarity by wearing green – a reference to Nintendo’s “Luigi” character – and stood outside the courthouse holding signs that read “Free Luigi” and “Health care is a human right.”
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The most serious federal charge against Mangione, murder through the use of a firearm, carries a potential sentence of death or life imprisonment, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The Justice Department filed a notice on Thursday indicating its intention to seek the death penalty, several weeks after Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the office to pursue this punishment.
He also faces state-level charges in New York and Pennsylvania connected to the shooting and the subsequent weeklong manhunt.
In New York, he has already pleaded not guilty to state murder and terrorism charges. In his Pennsylvania case, he faces charges related to firearms and forgery in connection with the 3D-printed firearm and false identification allegedly found in his possession when he was apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona. He did not enter a plea in Pennsylvania before being extradited back to New York to face the charges there.
An attorney representing Mangione filed a series of motions in Pennsylvania state court seeking to have the charges against him dismissed and to suppress several pieces of evidence should the case proceed to trial. His legal team argued that Mangione was unlawfully stopped and searched by authorities and requested that Mangione’s recovered writings not be referred to as a manifesto.
How we got here
The charges originate from the December 4th shooting of Thompson in Midtown Manhattan, which triggered a five-day manhunt.
Mangione was apprehended in connection with the killing in Pennsylvania, over 270 miles from the location of the shooting. Authorities have stated that he allegedly possessed the fake ID used by the suspect, the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting, and a handwritten “claim of responsibility.”
Mangione was not insured by UnitedHealthcare, but at the time of his arrest, he allegedly had a handwritten notebook expressing “hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular,” according to a federal complaint. Notably, the NYPD reported that three 9mm shell casings recovered from the crime scene had the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” written on them, an apparent reference to a 2010 book critical of insurance industry tactics.
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Mangione has garnered support from some individuals who view the American health insurance industry as flawed, excessively expensive, and prone to denying coverage. A survey released in June 2023 by the nonprofit health policy research group KFF indicated that the majority of insured US adults experienced at least one issue with their health insurance within a year, including the denial of claims.
As of April 24th, a legal defense fund established to support Mangione has raised over $900,000.
“To be honest, I’m really not that surprised that all this widespread support has sort of risen up in this moment for this young man alleged to have taken action in this way,” Sam Beard, spokesperson for the December 4th Legal Committee – the group fundraising for Mangione – previously told a prominent news anchor.
“I think Americans are fed up with the way of the – that the health insurance system operates,” Beard added.
Meanwhile, mainstream politicians have strongly condemned Mangione’s alleged actions as horrific crimes and have stated that he should face severe consequences.
“In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said on the day of Mangione’s apprehension. “He is no hero.”
High public interest in Mangione
The sharply contrasting views surrounding his case have made Mangione a significant focus of public attention.
In December, Mangione was transported from Pennsylvania to downtown New York via a jet and a helicopter in a remarkable spectacle captured by media cameras. Once in New York, a handcuffed Mangione was led on a lengthy “perp walk” by a large group of heavily armed NYPD officers, with New York Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch directly behind them.
The defense has accused law enforcement and prosecutors of inappropriately catering to television cameras during that incident.
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Mangione’s February 21st court hearing in New York on state charges drew dozens of his supporters despite frigid temperatures and long lines to enter the courtroom.
Some supporters wore “Free Luigi” scarves and sweaters and chanted slogans in his support while criticizing the American health care industry. Chelsea Manning, the former United States Army soldier and whistleblower convicted of violating the Espionage Act after leaking documents to WikiLeaks, was observed among the attendees.
Mangione himself wore a green sweater during that court hearing – a fashion choice that prosecutors suggested the defense made intentionally. The defense “has on the one hand cried foul when entities outside the People’s control have made public statements or gestures, while on the other has itself fanned the flames of the public attention,” prosecutors wrote in a recent filing.
Furthermore, prosecutors revealed that Mangione’s attorneys provided him with a new pair of argyle socks that contained hidden heart-shaped notes of support. Mangione’s attorneys later stated that they “inadvertently did not see” the notes in the socks.
Ultimately, Mangione did not wear those socks during the hearing.
