I shot Mr Thompson: Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal stalking charges

UnitedHealthcare CEO murder case: Luigi Mangione, 28, told the court that he deliberately researched Thompson and the location of UnitedHealthcare's investor conference before travelling to New York. He then admitted that he shot Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in December 2024.

In Short

• Mangione pleads guilty to federal stalking charges in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO
• Judge warned Mangione of possible life imprisonment without parole
• Separate state murder trial scheduled; double jeopardy dispute possible

Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty in a Manhattan federal court on Friday to charges stemming from the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, admitting that he stalked the health insurance executive with the intent to kill him before carrying out the shooting.

Mangione, 28, told the court that he deliberately researched Thompson and the location of UnitedHealthcare’s investor conference before travelling to New York. He then acknowledged that he shot Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in December 2024.

"I shot Mr. Thompson and he died," Mangione told the court.

He also admitted that he knew the killing was illegal.

"I knew what I was doing was illegal," he said. Mangione's federal sentencing is scheduled for 11 AM on Friday, December 18, before US District Judge Margaret Garnett.

MANGIONE DESCRIBES HOW HE TARGETED THOMPSON

During Friday's hearing, Mangione described the steps he took before the killing and explained how he learned about the UnitedHealthcare investor conference. He told the court that he had spent years dealing with pain from a broken back and had also seen others experience similar difficulties.

"After years of enduring pain from a broken back," Mangione said, he became aware that UnitedHealthcare was scheduled to hold its annual investor conference in December 2024.

He said the location of the conference had not been publicly posted, prompting him to conduct his own research to find out where it would be held and who would attend. Mangione then outlined how he sought information directly from the company.

"In November of 2024 I traveled from outside of New York state to Manhattan. I then emailed UnitedHealthcare leadership, posing as an investor at a firm managing over $15 billion in assets and requesting information about the conference. Unlike my previous interactions with insurers, I received an immediate response within an hour," Mangione said.

Thompson, who led UnitedHealth Group's insurance unit, was attending the investor event when he was shot outside a hotel in Manhattan in the early hours of December 4, 2024.

Mangione had originally faced a much broader set of federal charges, including murder and weapons offences, after prosecutors accused him of killing Thompson. He pleaded not guilty to those charges in April 2025. However, in January 2026, Judge Garnett dismissed the federal murder and weapons charges over legal issues. The ruling meant Mangione could no longer face the death penalty in the federal case. He still faced federal stalking charges, which carried the possibility of life imprisonment without parole.

The federal trial had most recently been scheduled for January. Friday’s guilty plea removes the need for that trial.

JUDGE WARNS MANGIONE ABOUT LIFE SENTENCE

During the hearing, Garnett made clear that pleading guilty did not eliminate the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence. The judge told Mangione that the federal system does not have parole and that he should expect to serve at least 85 per cent of any prison sentence imposed, even with credit for good behaviour.

"By pleading guilty, you are exposing yourself to at least the possibility of any combination of punishment, at least up to the maximum," Garnett said.

She explained that Mangione could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. His sentence could also be followed by up to five years of supervised release on each count, along with financial penalties and possible restitution.

Garnett asked Mangione whether he understood that he could receive a life sentence.

"Yes," Mangione replied. The judge also explained that the federal sentence could potentially run consecutively with a sentence imposed in his separate state case if he is convicted there.

Mangione confirmed that he understood.

Prosecutors told the court that they believed the federal sentencing guidelines called for between 292 and 365 months in prison. Garnett stressed that the range was not binding and that she would ultimately decide what sentence was appropriate.

"Whatever sentence I ultimately impose, I will not allow you to withdraw your plea," she said.

SEPARATE NEW YORK MURDER CASE REMAINS

Mangione separately pleaded not guilty in December 2024 to state charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Those charges included murder, weapons and forgery offences, as well as a terrorism charge. A New York judge dismissed the terrorism charges in September 2025, but the murder case remains active.

Mangione's state trial is scheduled to begin on September 8 before Justice Gregory Carro in Manhattan. If convicted of second-degree murder, he could face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

The resolution of the federal case could give Mangione an opportunity to seek dismissal of the state murder charge under New York's double jeopardy protections, which generally prevent someone from being prosecuted twice for the same conduct.

Bragg's office is expected to oppose such a move, arguing that the state murder charge is legally distinct from the federal charges. Any dispute could ultimately lead to an emergency appeal.

Thompson was shot dead outside a Manhattan hotel where a UnitedHealth Group investor conference was being held. Graphic footage of the killing and the subsequent five-day manhunt turned the case into a major story and social media phenomenon.

Mangione was eventually arrested in Pennsylvania.

- Ends
With inputs from agencies