Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty Friday in Manhattan federal court to federal stalking-to-kill charges, admitting he targeted and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Thompson was killed in 2024 as he walked to a company investor conference in a Manhattan hotel.
Mangione's guilty plea comes just weeks before his state murder trial was scheduled to begin on September 8. His lawyers have filed a motion seeking to dismiss the state charges on double jeopardy grounds, arguing that prosecuting him in both state and federal court for the same conduct amounts to being punished twice. If successful, this motion could lead to the cancellation of the state trial.
Prosecutors say they possess substantial evidence of Mangione's guilt, including video footage of him stalking Thompson the day before the killing and of the shooting itself. Additional evidence includes Mangione's DNA and fingerprints found at or near the crime scene, witness testimony, and a 3D-printed 9mm pistol recovered from his backpack upon arrest that authorities believe matches the weapon used in the murder. A notebook found with Mangione also reportedly expressed a willingness to kill a healthcare executive.
Mangione's defense team has previously challenged the admissibility of evidence found in his backpack, arguing the search was unconstitutional. However, judges in both federal and state cases rejected these arguments.
Following the federal plea, Mangione's lawyers aim to focus their efforts on convincing the federal judge, Margaret Garnett, to impose a sentence less than the life term that federal prosecutors intend to seek. While Mangione has pleaded not guilty in the state case, his federal guilty plea could complicate or even negate the need for a state trial.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office, prosecuting the state case, has stated it will oppose the defense's motion to terminate the state proceedings. They argue that the state charges, encompassing murder and firearms offenses, involve distinct legal elements and criminal conduct compared to the federal charges, which allege interstate stalking and killing.
U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald confirmed that Mangione does not have a plea deal with federal prosecutors and that they intend to seek the maximum penalty. However, Judge Garnett noted that federal sentencing guidelines suggest a prison term of 24 to 30 years, though she retains the discretion to deviate from these guidelines based on submissions from both the prosecution and defense, as well as a pre-sentencing probation report. Sentencing is scheduled for December 18. The family of Brian Thompson has indicated they are anticipating the state case moving forward.