Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to four federal charges connected to the shooting of health insurance executive Brian Thompson, one day after prosecutors formally said they will be seeking the death penalty.
Mangione, 26, had earlier pleaded not guilty to a separate set of New York state charges over the killing of Thompson. Thompson was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
On Friday, when U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett asked how he pleaded to the charges, Mangione stood and said “not guilty.” The four charges of the indictment were murder through the use of a firearm, firearms offense and two counts of stalking, per ABC.
Mangione is accused of shooting Thompson to death after stalking him outside the Hilton in midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024.
Federal prosecutor Dominic Gentile said the government is not planning on adding charges against Mangione, per ABC.
Prosecutors now formally seeking the death penalty
Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had announced that the Justice Department would be looking for the death penalty for Mangione, per Reuters. On Thursday night, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office formalized its intent to seek the death penalty in a court filing.
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett gave the defense a deadline of June 27 to file a legal brief laying out their arguments for why the government should be stopped from pursuing capital punishment.
According to ABC, if he’s convicted, Mangione’s federal charge of murder through the use of a firearm would make him eligible for the death penalty.
Because the federal prosecutors indicated they are seeking the death penalty, defense attorney Karen Friedman said she would seek to eliminate the state case and try only the federal case.
Garnett set Mangione’s next court date for Dec. 5 and added she would aim for a trial date some time next year.