Luigi Mangione admits killing Brian Thompson: Says 'severe' back pain drove him to pose as investor with $50 billion before shooting CEO dead, as judge reveals lengthy minimum sentence he now faces for stalking

Luigi Mangione confessed to shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel as he pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges.

The 28-year-old admitted to gunning down Thompson, 50, in Midtown Manhattan as he walked to a conference on December 4, 2024.

'I shot Mr Thompson and he died,' Mangione told Judge Margaret Garnett on Friday. 'I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.'

Mangione entered the courtroom in beige jail overalls, his hands behind his back, and scanned the room curiously with raised eyebrows before taking his seat.

Spectators craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the accused assassin as he studied papers laid out before him – notes he would later use in delivering his extraordinary admission.

The confession came as the Maryland native pleaded guilty to one count of interstate stalking resulting in death and one count of stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death.

Federal murder charges against Mangione were previously dropped, but he faces a state trial on charges of murdering Thompson next month. 

Mangione stood broad-shouldered and stone-faced before the judge and acknowledged his willingness to plead guilty with a clear and definitive 'yes.' 

Thompson's grieving family came face-to-face with Mangione for the first time at the hearing.

They watched as Mangione revealed that 'after years of enduring pain from a broken back,' he learned about the UnitedHealthcare investor conference online and, posing as an investor managing $50 billion, emailed the company for details of where it was being held.

Within an hour, he had the location. Mangione said he then 3D-printed a 9mm handgun, equipped it with a silencer and travelled to New York to gun down Thompson.

Luigi Mangione confessed to shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of a New York City hotel as he pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges

Federal murder charges against the 28-year-old were previously dropped, but he faces a state trial on charges of murdering Thompson next month

His stark admission that he shot Thompson was delivered matter-of-factly. 

At one point, Mangione leaned so close to the microphone that the judge stopped him and instructed him to back up and raise his voice so he could be heard more clearly.

The federal stalking charges he admitted to carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

It was at the prospect of potentially spending the rest of his life behind bars that Mangione showed one of his few visible reactions during the hearing.

He blinked rapidly, furrowed his brow and held his lips tightly together as the potential punishment was spelled out - but otherwise remained stoic.

Throughout the rest of the judge's questioning, Mangione was confident and concise, repeatedly answering with a clear 'yes' and at times looking upward as though carefully absorbing what was being said.

There was one awkward pause when he was asked whether he had consumed alcohol or taken drugs in recent days. 

After a brief discussion between his attorneys, the court was told Mangione had taken sleeping medication two days earlier, but he insisted it had not impaired his ability to understand the proceedings or his decision to plead guilty. 

His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for December 18.

While there is no formal plea deal in place, Judge Garnett told Mangione that federal sentencing guidelines call for roughly 24 to 30 years in prison – though she stressed she is not bound by that range. 

As the judge left the courtroom at the conclusion of the hearing, Mangione slowly rose from his chair and looked down at the desk in front of him before he was led from the room.

The Thompsons issued a statement after the hearing, calling for Mangione to face a strong punishment.

'Today's guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family. While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable,' the family said.

'Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime. We remain mindful that additional proceedings in New York and Pennsylvania are still to come, and we will continue to seek the justice Brian deserves.'

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The 28-year-old admitted to gunning down Thompson, 50, in Midtown Manhattan as he walked to a conference on December 4, 2024

Thompson's grieving family, including his widow Paulette Thompson, came face-to-face with Mangione for the first time at Friday's hearing in New York City

Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024

Outside the courthouse, federal prosecutors emphasized that Mangione does not have a plea deal, and they will seek the maximum sentence.

'There can be no celebrity in assassination. Mangione attempted to send a public message through violence, but the message that emerges today is very different,' Jamie McDonald, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said.

The shock plea comes just weeks before Mangione is slated to go to trial on state murder charges.

Immediately after the hearing, Mangione's legal team filed a motion to dismiss the state charges because of New York's double jeopardy laws.

'Today is a solemn and significant day. With today's guilty plea, Mr Mangione has accepted full responsibility for the death of Brian Thompson arising from the events of December 4, 2024, outside of the UnitedHealthcare investor conference here in Midtown Manhattan. It was a single, tragic event. Yet he's being prosecuted twice for the same conduct,' Mangione's lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said.

'Mr Mangione has been unfairly treated since the outset in every way and has successfully fought off terrorism charges and the death penalty, while also fighting - at the same time - two simultaneous prosecutions in two jurisdictions, who are trying to punish him twice for the exact conduct.

'He's been treated differently from every other defendant charged with this offense in New York.' 

Federal and state governments can prosecute for the same conduct because they are considered independent of each other, but under New York state law, double jeopardy can come into play when a prior prosecution for the same conduct ends in a conviction by guilty plea or a resolution at trial.

Retired FBI special agent James Gagliano suggested Mangione made the move so he could spend his sentence in a cushy federal prison rather than a state facility.

'What is confounding to all of us is why the Southern District would be doing this without working with the state because the only thing that can be the possible outcome here is, Luigi Mangione's attorneys are trying to get him to the comfy confines of FCI Otisville and avoid Sing Sing, Attica, Clinton or places like that in the state system,' Gagliano told Fox News.

'They will file a motion to dismiss based on double jeopardy, so there won't be a trial on Sept 8th,' he shared. 

Immediately after the hearing, Mangione's legal team (above) filed a motion to dismiss the state charges because of New York's double jeopardy laws

Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania

Mangione was in court earlier this week on Tuesday, where the judge ruled that the jury for his state trial will be anonymous because of the high-profile nature of the case.

Since his capture, Mangione has gone on to attract a large fan base, mainly of women, who show up to court in support of the alleged killer. 

An online defense fund for him called December 4 Legal Committee (D4LC) has raised more than $1.5 million since his arrest in December 2024. He has also received a significant amount of fan mail and emails while locked away inside Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center.

In a statement after Friday's plea, a D4LC spokesperson celebrated the support Mangione has received to this point, and claimed that the American healthcare system is guilty of committing greater crimes than those the gunman has now confessed to.

'The outpouring of support for Luigi isn’t about his legal "guilt" or "innocence," but about our collective understanding that private health insurance is itself a much bigger crime…,' said Jamie Peck. 

'When over 100,000 Americans are dying every year because they can’t access basic medical care, we need to start asking who the real killers in our society are.'

A second spokesperson for the group, Sam Beard, added: 'Luigi sacrificed his freedom to strike back against the health insurance industry. It is up to all of us now to vindicate him by building our collective power to make change...history will remember Luigi Mangione’s sacrifice for our natural right to health.'

Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. 

Surveillance video of the killing showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind.

Police say 'delay,' 'deny' and 'depose' were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.