Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting Appears in Federal Court Amid Plea Talks

Luigi Mangione, the 28-year-old suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare chief Brian Thompson, appeared before a federal judge in the Southern District of New York on Thursday. The hearing was scheduled after a pre-trial conference in his New York state case, which is slated to start with jury selection next month.

Prosecutors say Mangione was arrested on Dec. 9, 2024, at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after police identified him from a false ID. A search of his backpack uncovered a loaded magazine, a Faraday bag containing a passport, phone and wallet, a silencer, a 3-D-printed firearm and a handwritten notebook described by the district attorney as a “manifesto” expressing frustration with the health-care industry. DNA and fingerprints from the notebook and other items matched evidence recovered at the Manhattan crime scene.

Mangione faces federal stalking charges related to the killing and state charges of second-degree murder and weapons offenses. While he has pleaded not guilty to both sets of charges, sources say plea negotiations are ongoing and a guilty plea could be entered as early as today, pending approval from U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett. Defense attorneys have indicated they may seek dismissal of the state case on double-jeopardy grounds if a federal plea is reached.

Family members of the victim and UnitedHealthcare executives are expected to attend the hearing, whereas Mangione’s relatives have not attended any prior court appearances. Both Mangione’s lawyer and a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment on the negotiations.