Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges in the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione, 26, was indicted last week on charges of murder, two counts of stalking, and a firearms violation.
During the arraignment, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett asked Mangione if he understood the charges against him. He responded "yes" before entering a not guilty plea. A trial date will be scheduled in December.
Federal prosecutors filed a formal notice with the court on Thursday that they plan to seek the death penalty, as directed by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America," Bondi said on April 1.
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Mangione's attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, was critical of the DOJ's decision to pursue the death penalty against her client, saying it "goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent."
State prosecutors have already charged Mangione with 11 other counts, including one of murder in the first degree "in furtherance of an act of terrorism" and two of murder in the second degree. He has pleaded not guilty to the state charges.
If convicted on state charges, Mangione faces the possibility of a life sentence without parole.
