Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was in court Friday to change his plea to guilty in connection with the 2024 shooting.
Manhattan District Attorney: ‘Prepared to litigate’
Update 12:46 p.m. ET; Aug. 14: The Manhattan District Attorney has released a statement that it is “prepared to litigate the defense motions” concerning the questions of double jeopardy.
“Since December 2024, the Manhattan D.A.’s Office has been tirelessly preparing to pursue a trial conviction in New York State Supreme Court for the alleged cold-blooded murder of Brian Thompson. We are encouraged that Mr. Thompson’s family received a measure of accountability today. While federal sentencing is pending, we are prepared to litigate the defense motions. The Manhattan D.A.’s Office remains committed to seeking justice for Mr. Thompson and his family,” the office said, according to CNN.
Prosecution speaks
Update 12:08 p.m. ET, Aug. 14: Jamie McDonald, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, presented the timeline of Thompson’s killing on Dec. 4, 2024, saying Mangione committed the murder to spotlight his dislike of an industry, calling Thompson’s death an assassination. He said Mangione tried to send “a public message through violence.”
“There can be no celebrity in assassination,” McDonald said.
McDonald called Friday’s proceedings the “final chapter” in Mangione’s federal prosecution.
He noted the office has no plea agreement with Mangione and that all penalties are on the table, including life in prison.
Thompson’s family released a statement, saying the plea “marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family.”
“While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable,” the statement continued, according to The New York Times. “Now we look to the court to ensure the sentencing reflects the severity of this crime.”
Defense attorney speaks
Update 12:03 p.m. ET, Aug. 14: Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Adnifilo said they have filed papers concerning New York state’s double jeopardy law since he has pleaded guilty in federal court. They filed a motion to get the state charges dismissed under the state’s double jeopardy law.
Hearing concludes
Update 11:48 a.m. ET, Aug. 14: The hearing has concluded.
Sentencing set
Update 11:45 a.m. ET, Aug. 14: Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18.
Guilty plea entered, accepted
Update 11:43 a.m. ET, Aug. 14: The judge asked Mangione how he pleads; Mangione said “guilty” and the judge accepted the plea, The New York Times reported.
Mangione speaks
Update 11:38 a.m. ET, Aug. 14: The judge is telling the court in his own words how he planned Thompson’s death.
He said that he had endured severe pain from an injured back, and had navigated the insurance injury, that he learned the company would have its investor conference in New York City. Although the location was not publicized, he researched where the meeting would be held. He said he posed as an investor, emailed the company, and received the information within an hour of his request.
He said he printed a gun with a 3D printer and added a silencer.
Mangione told the court, “I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan,” adding, “I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.”
Will have to serve at least 85% of sentence
Update 11:30 a.m. ET, Aug. 14: Judge Margaret Garnett told Mangione, 28, that he would have to serve at least 85% of his sentence. He told the court he understood. If he faces trial on state charges, the judge explained that, if convicted, that sentence could be added to the federal one, The New York Times reported.
Mangione will not be sentenced today.
Two stalking charges
Update 11:23 a.m. ET, Aug. 14: Mangione is pleading guilty to two charges: one count of interstate stalking resulting in death, and one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death. Both carry penalties of up to life in prison.
Mangione sworn in
Update 11:19 a.m. ET, Aug. 14: He was sworn in and answered questions while under oath, meaning that if he answers anything falsely, he could be charged with perjury, The New York Times reported.
Original report: The New York Times reported that when asked by the judge if he was prepared to plead guilty, Mangione answered yes.
This is not the first time discussions about a plea change have occurred, The Associated Press reported.
Talks in June broke down.
The hearing in federal court on Friday was “hastily requested” by lawyers on both sides earlier this week, the AP said.
Thompson’s family was in the courtroom, sitting in the front row, CNN reported.
Mangione was charged at both the state and federal levels for killing Thompson as he was walking to UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference at a New York City hotel on Dec. 4, 2024.
Mangione was on the run and the subject of a five-day manhunt that ended in an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s, CNN reported.
A search of a backpack that he had with him turned up a 3D -printed gun, cellphone, passport and wallet among other alleged evidence.
There was also a notebook, described as a manifesto, that showed frustration with the healthcare industry, CNN reported.
Mangione faced two federal charges alleging that he stalked Thompson to cause his death. Other charges that could have led to the death penalty were thrown out earlier this year.
He also faces state murder charges, with a trial scheduled to start next month, the AP reported.
Both the federal and state cases, as they stood before Friday’s hearing, could bring sentences of life in prison.
If the federal case is resolved, the state case could be barred because New York’s double jeopardy protections may apply, the AP explained.
The double jeopardy rule comes into play when someone faces charges in two separate prosecutions based on the same act, CNN reported.
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