Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty Friday to federal murder and stalking charges as a mix of supporters, onlookers and others gathered at the federal courthouse in New York City.
A line — which began forming around 5 p.m. the previous evening — stretched in front of the entrance, with people eager to see the 26-year-old charged with ambushing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a husband and father of two, outside a midtown hotel on Dec. 4, 2024.
Investigators said Thompson was on his way to an investors’ conference when he was shot in the back on the sidewalk.
Mangione’s subsequent high-profile capture at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and the subsequent court appearances, have garnered a peculiar mix of support and condemnation for the alleged killer, who is facing both state and federal charges.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Mangione, and spoke publicly about the case in April, saying the killing of Thompson “was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”
Former Army intelligence analyst and whistleblower Chelsea Manning was towards the front of the courthouse line on Friday.
“This case is being speed run in an unprecedented manner…with two cases running simultaneously, and one of them is a death penalty case,” Manning told reporters after the arraignment. “We don’t do that in our, with our justice system. We don’t speed run justice. That’s it.”
When asked if she was a Mangione supporter, Manning said, “I’m a supporter of the justice system being done in a fair manner.”
A truck circulated the area with rotating digital screens showing Luigi, his perp walk, and messages such as: “LUIGI is caught in a high-stakes GAME of tug-of-war, except the TROPHY is a young man’s LIFE.”
A woman in her late twenties in a black leather jacket and sunglasses, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was there to support Mangione because she views what Thompson and United Healthcare are doing as “legal murder.”
“If you’re going to deny a child with cancer care, that’s murder,” she said. “…It’s like murder by just denial, like a thousand denials. Whether you’re committing in the middle of a street with a gun, or behind a computer screen, you’re killing someone.”
She also criticized Bondi for posting on social media that the federal prosecutors would seek the death penalty for Mangione.
“It’s state-sanctioned murder. He’s a political prisoner,” she said. “School shooters don’t get it. Dylann Roof — like politically motivated, racially motivated shooters don’t get the death penalty.”
During the arraignment, Judge Margaret Garnett asked prosecutors to convey a message to Bondi, reminding her that public commentary can impact a fair trial.
Another woman, who wore a facemask, arrived at 6:15 a.m. to line up.
“I think this may be one of the biggest constitutional cases of our time,” she said, lamenting the “extent to which [Luigi has] been portrayed as guilty,” and expressing concern about finding an impartial jury.
“Everyone will have an opinion,” she declared.
Mangione was shackled as he was led into the packed courtroom, wearing a tan and white prison outfit, a stark contrast from his last court appearance when he wore a preppy green cable knit sweater over a white collared shirt with khakis – and a bulletproof vest. Then there was tension between the prosecution and defense over whether he was receiving “special treatment” after two heart-shaped notes were hidden in the packaging of argyle socks that Mangione was given to wear to the hearing.
One read: “Know there are thousands of people wishing you luck.” Mangione ultimately went sockless with his loafers to that hearing. Prosecutors wrote in a court document that “he felt that ‘they did not look good.'”
In court on Friday, Mangione sat between his lawyers Marc Agnifilo and Avraham Moskowitz, who specializes in the death penalty and was recently added to the team. Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who is married to Mr. Agnifilo took the lead in court. Mangione spoke animatedly with his lawyers before the arraignment started. He seemed attentive throughout, watching the judge intently and peering to look at the prosecution as each spoke. He took notes and leaned back pensively holding his pen at moments.
With two impending trials in New York, the question of which will proceed first has not yet been resolved. The prosecution indicated that they planned for the New York State trial to proceed first since thus is a capital case, while the defense argued for starting with the federal trial due to concerns about “constitutional issues” that could be impacted.
“We will set the schedule for this case as though it is the only case,” said Judge Garnett, “until circumstances project otherwise.” She said the trial date would be set at the next conference on December 5th and should take place in 2026.
When the court wrapped, he appeared to be in a good mood and turned to face the rows of public and press as he conferred with his attorneys. He made eye contact and smiled as they filed out.
Thompson is survived by his wife, Paulette Thompson, and two children, who have remained out of the spotlight after releasing a statement in December saying, “Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives. Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed.”
