The legal proceedings against Luigi Mangione are advancing steadily. Four months after the 26-year-old was indicted in connection with the December 4th murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, he pled not guilty to federal charges on April 25th, according to reporters from NBC News who were present in the courtroom. As Presiding Judge Margaret Garnett recited the charges aloud—comprising two counts of stalking, one count of murder by firearm, and an additional firearms offense for allegedly using a silencer—Mangione firmly declared, "Not guilty."
Mangione's next court hearing is scheduled for December 5th, at which time a trial date will be determined. However, his lead defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, has requested that Mangione's federal case—which is being handled concurrently with state cases in New York and Pennsylvania—proceed to trial first, given its potential for a death sentence. This plea comes four months after Mangione pled not guilty to murder and terrorism charges leveled by New York state prosecutors. (In Pennsylvania, he faces five charges but has yet to enter a plea.)
If convicted in his New York case, Mangione could face a life sentence. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump's Attorney General, Pamela Bondi, announced that the Department of Justice would seek the death penalty if Mangione were convicted at the federal level. "Luigi Mangione's murder of Brian Thompson—an innocent man and father of two young children—was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that sent shockwaves through America," Bondi stated on April 1st. "After thorough deliberation, I have instructed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case, aligning with President Trump's mission to curb violent crime and Make America Safe Again."
In response to this news, Friedman Agnifilo lambasted the Justice Department for "defending the flawed, unethical, and murderous healthcare industry." "By seeking to execute Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has descended from dysfunctionality to barbarism," she wrote in a statement to NBC News. "Their decision to execute Luigi is purely political." She continued, "We are prepared to combat these federal charges, brought by a lawless Justice Department, as well as the charges in New York State and Pennsylvania, and any other accusations they attempt to heap upon Luigi. Luigi finds himself caught in a high-stakes tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, with his very life serving as the prize."
For his part, Mangione has expressed profound gratitude for the support he has received during his incarceration at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. "I am overwhelmed and deeply grateful for everyone who has written to me, sharing their stories and expressing their support," he posted on his website in February. "Though it is impossible for me to respond to most letters, please know that I read each one I receive. Thank you once again to everyone who took the time to write. I eagerly anticipate hearing more from you in the future."
