Luigi Mangione confessed to shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel as he pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges.
The 28-year-old admitted to gunning down Thompson, 50, in Midtown Manhattan as he walked to a conference on December 4, 2024.
‘I shot Mr Thompson and he died,’ Mangione told the judge on Friday. ‘I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death of bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.’
The confession came as the Maryland native pleaded guilty to one count of interstate stalking resulting in death and one count of stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death.
Federal murder charges against Mangione were previously dropped, but he faces a state trial on charges of murdering Thompson next month.
Thompson’s grieving family came face-to-face with Mangione for the first time at the hearing.
They watched as Mangione revealed that ‘after years of enduring pain from a broken back,’ he learned about the UnitedHealthcare investor conference.
Mangione said he traveled to Manhattan and emailed the company, posing as an investor managing $58 billion and received information about the location within an hour, then printed a gun with a 3D printer.
Luigi Mangione confessed to shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of a New York City hotel as he pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges
Federal murder charges against the 28-year-old were previously dropped, but he faces a state trial on charges of murdering Thompson next month
Both stalking charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for December 18.
While there is no formal plea deal in place, the judge said there is a letter with a sentencing guideline suggesting a minimum sentence of 292 months, or over 24 years.
The Thompsons issued a statement after the hearing, calling for Mangione to face a strong punishment.
‘Today’s guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family. 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,’ the family said.
‘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.’
Outside the courthouse, federal prosecutors emphasized that Mangione does not have a plea deal, and they will seek the maximum sentence.
‘There can be no celebrity in assassination. Mangione attempted to send a public message through violence, but the message that emerges today is very different,’ Jamie McDonald, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said.
The shock plea comes just weeks before Mangione is slated to go to trial on state murder charges.
Join the discussion
Should Mangione’s chronic pain and motives affect how harshly he’s punished for killing Thompson?
The 28-year-old admitted to gunning down Thompson, 50, in Midtown Manhattan as he walked to a conference on December 4, 2024
Thompson’s grieving family, including his widow Paulette Thompson, came face-to-face with Mangione for the first time at Friday’s hearing in New York City
Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024
Immediately after the hearing, Mangione’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the state charges because of New York’s double jeopardy laws.
‘Today is a solemn and significant day. With today’s guilty plea, Mr Mangione has accepted full responsibility for the death of Brian Thompson arising from the events of December 4, 2024, outside of the UnitedHealthcare investor conference here in Midtown Manhattan. It was a single, tragic event. Yet he’s being prosecuted twice for the same conduct,’ Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said.
‘Mr Mangione has been unfairly treated since the outset in every way and has successfully fought off terrorism charges and the death penalty, while also fighting – at the same time – two simultaneous prosecutions in two jurisdictions, who are trying to punish him twice for the exact conduct.
‘He’s been treated differently from every other defendant charged with this offense in New York.’
Federal and state governments can prosecute for the same conduct because they are considered independent of each other, but under New York state law, double jeopardy can come into play when a prior prosecution for the same conduct ends in a conviction by guilty plea or a resolution at trial.
Retired FBI special agent James Gagliano suggested Mangione made the move so he could spend his sentence in a cushy federal prison rather than a state facility.
‘What is confounding to all of us is why the Southern District would be doing this without working with the state because the only thing that can be the possible outcome here is, Luigi Mangione’s attorneys are trying to get him to the comfy confines of FCI Otisville and avoid Sing Sing, Attica, Clinton or places like that in the state system,’ Gagliano told Fox News.
Immediately after the hearing, Mangione’s legal team (above) filed a motion to dismiss the state charges because of New York’s double jeopardy laws
Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania
‘They will file a motion to dismiss based on double jeopardy, so there won’t be a trial on Sept 8th,’ he shared.
Mangione was in court earlier this week on Tuesday, where the judge ruled that the jury for his state trial will be anonymous because of the high-profile nature of the case.
Since his capture, Mangione has gone on to attract a large fan base, mainly of women, who show up to court in support of the alleged killer.
An online defense fund for him has raised more than $1.5 million since his arrest in December 2024. He has also received a significant amount of fan mail and emails while locked away inside Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
For his trial, jurors’ names and personal information will remain a secret from the public, the judge ruled, adding that both the defense and prosecution need to come up with questions for prospective jurors.
That questionnaire will determine how much possible jurors know about the case, their experience with the law, and more factors, NBC News reported. The judge will have the final say on what they are asked.
The judge also acknowledged the number of people expected to be allowed in the main courtroom and what should be done about the large crowd.
More than 80 news outlets, including independent journalists and major publications, are set to cover the trial.
Surveillance video of the killing showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind.
Police say ‘delay,’ ‘deny’ and ‘depose’ were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.
Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login