Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to federal charges involving murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Image: Daniele Pieroni.
On Friday, Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, plead not guilty to the charges of murder and stalking. He appeared in Lower Manhattan court on Friday, where he stated his plea to the judge.
Mangione’s not guilty plea came the same day federal prosecutors officially filed to seek capital punishment (also known as “death penalty”) for Thompson’s murder. The prosecution stated their belief that the purpose of the killing was “to amplify an ideological message.” US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had initially pushed for Mangione’s execution, stated her belief that the murder was politically motivated.
Mangione’s defense team had denounced the notion of executing him as “barbaric.”
A group of Mangione’s supporters assembled outside the courthouse, with some viewing him as a kind of “folk hero” amid widespread dissatisfaction with the U.S. healthcare system. Reports indicated that his legal defense fund has raised more than US$1 million in donations.
See also
Sources
- Sakshi Venkatraman and Madeline Halpert. “Mangione pleads not guilty to federal murder charge over CEO’s killing” — BBC, April 25, 2025
- Kara Scannell, Zoe Sottile, Lauren del Valle and Michelle Watson. “Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to federal charges in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO” — CNN News, April 25, 2025
