Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Stalking and Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO

Luigi Mangione entered a guilty plea on Friday in federal court for two stalking charges that led to the December 2024 shooting death of UnitedHealthcare chief Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street. The plea, delivered at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, concluded a case that had been slated for a federal trial in January 2027 and a state trial in September 2024.

Friends who spoke to reporters said they were unaware Mangione was planning to plead guilty. R.J. Martin, a longtime friend and former landlord, described the day as “deeply emotional” and said Mangione “is a human being with a circle of longtime friends who know who he is, stay in touch, and care about him deeply.”

Another acquaintance, identified only as R.K., said the plea was “a stark shift” from the person he knew and noted that Mangione “never struck me as a political person,” adding that the case reflects broader societal tensions.

Mangione’s former high-school teacher recalled that the student had “always chased perfection” and was expected to pursue a career in scientific research. After his arrest, the Mangione family issued a brief statement expressing shock and offering prayers for the victim’s family.

In court, Mangione recounted his attempts to obtain information about UnitedHealthcare’s investor conference by posing as an investor, noting that he received a response within an hour. The Thompson family thanked the federal justice system for holding Mangione accountable and called for a sentencing that reflects the seriousness of the crime.

Judge Margaret Garnett has set a sentencing hearing for December 18, while a state-court motion to dismiss the murder charge on double-jeopardy grounds is pending a decision from Judge Gregory Carro in December.