Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to federal murder charge over CEO killing as US pushes for death penalty

By Shannon Cook

Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to a federal murder and stalking charge in connection with the death of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, as the US pushes for the death penalty.

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Mangione, 26, has pleaded not guilty to all federal charges related to the death of UnitedHealthcare boss Brian Thompson.

He faces four federal charges: murder, using a weapon with a silencer, and two counts of stalking.

The Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family also faces 11 state charges, which he has pleaded not guilty to.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Mangione.

Former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who was court martialled and sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking confidential documents to WikiLeaks, gave a brief statement after the arraignment hearing for Mangione at Manhattan Federal Court on Friday in New York City.

She said: "This case is being speed run in an unprecedented manner".

Earlier this month, Luigi Mangione was indicted on a federal murder charge over the CEO killing.

The formal charge, returned by a grand jury in Manhattan federal court, is a necessary step for prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

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He is accused of shooting Mr Thompson, 50, in the back outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4 as the executive arrived for UnitedHealthcare's annual investor conference.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced this month she had directed federal prosecutors in Manhattan to seek the death penalty, following through on President Donald Trump's campaign promise to vigorously pursue capital punishment.

It is the first death penalty case sought by the Justice Department since Mr Trump returned to office in January with a vow to resume federal executions after they were halted under the previous administration.

The killing and ensuing five-day manhunt leading to Mangione's arrest rattled the business community, with some health insurers hastily switching to remote work or online shareholder meetings.

It also galvanised health insurance critics - some of whom have rallied around Mangione as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind. Police say the words "delay," "deny", and "depose" were scrawled on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase commonly used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.