Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, pleaded not guilty Friday to all federal charges against him.
Mangione allegedly killed Thompson in December 2024, setting off a highly publicized investigation that led to his arrest in Pennsylvania. Mangione became a polarizing figure after his arrest, as some labeled him a folk hero due to anger against the insurance industry, while others condemned the act.
He is being charged with murder, two counts of stalking, and a firearms charge. Mangione was indicted on the charges last week. Justice Department officials said they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement earlier this month. “After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
The Justice Department filed its notice of intent to seek the death penalty on Thursday. Its attorneys cited the impact of Thompson’s death, Mangione’s intent to select New York as a site to kill Thompson “to amplify an ideological message, maximize the visibility and impact of the victim’s murder, and to provoke broad-based resistance to the victim’s industry,” and his “future dangerousness.”
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Mangione also faces state charges in New York and Pennsylvania over the shooting and his subsequent activities. He pleaded not guilty to state murder and terrorism charges in New York and faces firearm and forgery charges in connection with the 3D-printed firearm and false identification allegedly in his possession in Pennsylvania.
His lawyers are seeking to dismiss the charges against him in the Pennsylvania case, claiming he was illegally stopped and searched by authorities. They also wish for his recovered writings not to be referred to as a manifesto.