Luigi Mangione, the 28-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson in New York City, told a federal judge on Friday that he plans to admit guilt in the case.
The move could prevent a federal courtroom trial over the December 2024 shooting and may have consequences for a separate prosecution brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Thompson’s widow attended Friday’s proceedings from the front row alongside relatives.
Mangione had initially denied the federal allegations, which included accusations of murder, firearms offences and stalking.
His latest position concerns a charge alleging that he followed Thompson with an intention to kill him.
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett questioned Mangione extensively to establish that he understood the implications of entering a guilty plea.
He responded that he had never undergone treatment or been admitted to hospital for a psychiatric condition.
Mangione appeared composed and communicated clearly throughout the hearing.
Both sides told the court that he was capable of understanding the proceedings and making the decision voluntarily.
Garnett accepted that assessment.
Earlier this year, the judge dismissed the federal homicide and gun-related counts because of legal deficiencies.
That ruling removed the possibility of a federal death sentence, although a conviction on the remaining allegation could still result in life imprisonment without parole.
Mangione continues to face prosecution in New York state court.
He entered a not-guilty plea in December 2024 to allegations including terrorism, murder, weapons violations and document forgery.
A judge subsequently rejected the terrorism count.
His state trial is due to begin on September 8 before Justice Gregory Carro.
A conviction for second-degree murder could carry a prison term ranging from 25 years to life.
A guilty plea in the federal proceedings could give Mangione grounds to challenge the state murder case under New York’s double-jeopardy protections, which generally prevent a person from being tried twice for the same conduct.
Prosecutors are expected to oppose such an application, maintaining that the state homicide allegation differs legally from the federal offences.
Any ruling against either side could be followed by an urgent appeal.
Thompson, who headed UnitedHealth Group’s insurance division, was fatally shot on December 4, 2024, outside a Manhattan hotel where an investment meeting was being held.
The killing, captured on widely circulated video, triggered a five-day search for the suspect and generated intense public and online attention.
Luigi Mangione was eventually apprehended in Pennsylvania.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong