Listen to this articleDear 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated using AI-based technology. Pronunciation errors may occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve results. Luigi Mangione admitted Friday to shooting health insurance executive Brian Thompson to death in the back on a Manhattan sidewalk in 2024, while pleading guilty to two federal stalking charges in court. Mangione, 28, pleaded not guilty in April 2025 to murder, weapons and harassment charges brought by federal prosecutors in Manhattan, but U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed the murder and weapons charges on legal technicalities in a January ruling, leaving two harassment charges in place. That ruling eliminated the possibility of Mangione facing the death penalty, although he still faces a possible sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted of two counts: interstate stalking resulting in death. and stalking by use of interstate facilities resulting in death. On Friday, Garnett asked him a series of questions designed to make sure he understood the consequences of a guilty plea. Mangione answered no when asked if he had ever been treated or hospitalized for a mental illness. His lawyers and prosecutors told Garnett he was mentally competent enough to knowingly plead guilty, and the judge agreed. The judge scheduled sentencing for December 18. Jamie McDonald, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said federal prosecutors will seek life in prison. Mangione’s Attorney Discusses Case After Guilty Plea:Listen to attorney for Luigi Mangione, U.S. Attorney after guilty plea in federal case. Luigi Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, spoke about the status of her client’s case after pleading guilty in his federal case on Friday. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald, speaking on behalf of federal prosecutors, described the killing of health care executive Brian Thompson and said his office is still free to seek the maximum penalty provided by law. “No grievance, political belief or ideological cause can ever justify murder,” the federal prosecutor said. It is not yet clear what effect the guilty plea will ultimately have on second-degree murder charges filed in a separate case brought by New York state officials. The trial in that case is scheduled to begin Sept. 8. Double jeopardy question While calling it a “solemn and significant day,” Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said outside court after the hearing that her client was being treated differently than other individuals in New York. “It was a single tragic event, yet he is being prosecuted twice for the same conduct.” He said Mangione would seek dismissal of the state murder charge under New York’s double jeopardy law. Paulette Thompson leaves Manhattan federal court after Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in the murder of her husband, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Ryan Murphy/The Associated Press) Thompson ran the insurance unit of Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group before he was shot in the back on a Manhattan sidewalk early on the morning of Dec. 4, 2024. The Iowa native, 50, was attending an investor conference at a hotel in the city. Thompson’s widow, Paulette, sat in the front row of the gallery Friday with other members of her family. He is also survived by two children. “While today’s petition does not replace the void he left, I hope it offers the glimpse of closure that Thompson’s family and friends deserve,” said James Barnacle, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office. ‘Violence is not a cause’ Graphic images of the murder and a five-day search for a suspect made the case a media event and a social media sensation. Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles from the crime scene. Born and raised in Maryland, Mangione lived a somewhat itinerant life in the two years before Thompson’s murder, working a series of jobs remotely and living for a time in Hawaii and California. Police have alleged that he lashed out at health insurers in his private writings. SEE | Why judge dismissed some charges earlier this year: Death penalty thrown out for Luigi Mangione as judge dismisses federal murder charge A federal judge in New York dismissed a murder charge against Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett found the charge technically flawed. Mangione will still face federal harassment and firearms charges, as well as a separate state murder charge. UnitedHealth has said there is no record of Mangione or members of his immediate family being among its policyholders. According to Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione believed that “the system failed him and destroyed his life” after his own experience following an injury. “As Luigi explained in court today, he endured years of severe and debilitating pain after a broken back, while struggling to navigate our health care and insurance systems,” he said. “Social media posts targeting the American health insurance industry and its rate of coverage denials proliferated in the wake of Thompson’s murder, as did posts that appeared to celebrate Mangione. Previous court hearings attracted larger than usual numbers of spectators and protesters. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch was unsparing in her assessment of Mangione. “To those who idolize Luigi Mangione, I say this: violence is not a cause, murder is not a message and a murderer is certainly not a hero,” he said. Mangione pleaded not guilty in December 2024 to charges of state terrorism, murder, weapons and forgery brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The terrorism charges were dismissed by a judge in September 2025. Mangione would face 25 years to life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. Bragg’s office would oppose the measure, arguing that the murder charge is legally distinct from federal charges.
