NEW YORK (AP) — Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty Friday to a federal murder charge in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Prosecutors formally declared their intent to seek the death penalty, and the judge warned Justice Department officials to refrain from making public comments that could spoil his right to a fair trial.
Mangione, 26, stood between his lawyers and leaned toward a tabletop microphone as he entered the plea in Manhattan federal court. He responded “yes” when U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett asked if he understood the indictment that charges him with gunning down Thompson outside a midtown hotel last December.
Asked how he wished to plead, Mangione said simply “not guilty” and sat down.
A cause célèbre for people upset with the health insurance industry, Mangione’s federal arraignment drew dozens of people to court, including former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who served prison time for stealing classified diplomatic cables.
Some lined up for hours in front of the courthouse steps, trying to snag a seat inside. Others rallied across the street as a pair of advertising trucks drove around playing videos denouncing the health insurance industry and the death penalty.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, faces separate murders in federal and state court, where he faces a maximum punishment of life in prison.
Prosecutors had expected the state case go to trial first, but Mangione’s lawyers said Friday that they want the federal case to take precedent because it involves the death penalty. Because of the many legal issues involved in capital cases, Mangione’s federal case will move at a slower pace than non-death penalty prosecutions.
Mangione is next due in federal court on Dec. 5, a day after the one-year anniversary of Thompson’s death. His next appearance in the state case is set for June 26. No trial date has been set in either case.
Mangione, held in a federal jail in Brooklyn since his arrest, arrived to court Friday in a mustard-colored jail suit and chatted with one of his lawyers, death penalty counsel Avi Moskowitz, as they waited for the arraignment to begin.
Late Thursday night, federal prosecutors filed a required notice of their intent to seek the death penalty. That came weeks after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that she would be directing federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for what she called “an act of political violence" and a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”
It was the first time the Justice Department said it was pursuing capital punishment since President Donald Trump returned to the White House on Jan. 20 with a vow to resume federal executions after they were halted under the previous administration.
Mangione’s lawyers argue that Bondi’s announcement — which she followed with posts on Instagram account and a TV appearance — was a “political stunt” that violated long-established Justice Department protocols, corrupted the grand jury process and deprived him of his constitutional right to due process.
After Mangione lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo raised the issue again on Friday, Garnett instructed federal prosecutors to convey to Bondi and other Justice Department officials that court rules prohibit any pretrial publicity that could interfere with a defendant’s right to a fair trial.
Mangione’s federal indictment includes a charge of murder through use of a firearm, which carries the possibility of the death penalty. The indictment also charges him with stalking and a gun offense.
Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind as the executive arrived for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference. 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.
The killing and ensuing five-day search leading to Mangione’s arrest rattled the business community while galvanizing health insurance critics who rallied around Mangione as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty bills.
Mangione was arrested Dec. 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City and whisked to Manhattan by plane and helicopter.
Police said Mangione had a 9mm handgun that matched the one used in the shooting and other items including a notebook in which they say he expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives.
Among the entries, prosecutors said, was one from last August that said “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box” and one from October that describes an intent to “wack” an insurance CEO. UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurer, has said Mangione was never a client.
FILE - A view of the UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s campus is shown Oct. 16, 2012, in Minnetonka, Minn. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)
FILE - Luigi Mangione , accused of fatally shooting the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City and leading authorities on a five-day search is scheduled, appears in court for a hearing, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, in New York. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool, File)
ROME (AP) — Jannik Sinner has gone all the way to the final in his first tournament back from a three-month doping ban.
And Carlos Alcaraz is waiting for him in the Italian Open title match.
The top-ranked Sinner rallied past No. 12 Tommy Paul 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the semifinals on Friday as he attempts to become the first Italian man to lift the Rome trophy since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
Earlier, Alcaraz advanced to his first Rome final by beating Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Sunday’s final will mark the first meeting between Sinner and Alcaraz since October, when Alcaraz won the China Open final in a third-set tiebreaker. Alcaraz holds a 6-4 edge in his career meetings with Sinner and has won three straight against his biggest rival.
But Sinner has not lost since that defeat to Alcaraz in Beijing and is on a 26-match winning streak. He’s playing his first tournament since he won his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.
“He’s playing great. I’ve been watching his matches,” Alcaraz said. “His level is really high right now. Every time that I play against him is always a battle, always really, really tough. I kind of enjoy (those) moments.”
Sinner cranked up his level to near perfection in a rout of Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Against Paul, Sinner made unforced errors in the first set while his American opponent hit shot after shot on the lines. But Sinner quickly turned the match around.
“Everybody saw the game against Casper,” Alcaraz said. “It’s a huge level.”
Sinner is the first Italian man in the Rome final since Panatta lost the 1978 title match to Bjorn Borg, and Alcaraz noted that playing Sinner before his home crowd will be “even more challenging.”
Sinner's fans have been out in full force for all of his matches, many of them wearing wigs and hats in orange — his theme color. One fan held aloft a sign during the semifinal that translated from Italian to, “Sinner, we missed you.”
In February, Sinner agreed to a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency that raised questions, since the three-month suspension conveniently allowed him not to miss any Grand Slams and come back at his home tournament.
Rome is the last big warmup before the French Open starts on May 25.
It’s the third final in three clay-court events this season for Alcaraz, who won the Monte Carlo Masters and finished runner-up in the Barcelona Open. He withdrew from the Madrid Open because of injury.
The third-ranked Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid tournament with an upper right leg issue and also had a left leg injury. In Rome, he has been wearing a long black brace covering the upper portion of his right leg stretching down to just below his knee.
Musetti took the first set off Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final but Alcaraz broke the Italian’s serve in the first game of the rematch to silence the pro-Musetti crowd on Campo Centrale. Musetti didn’t help himself with unforced errors and began pushing Alcaraz only at the end of the set.
Musetti was docked a point for misbehavior late in the second set after receiving a warning earlier for breaking his racket.
On a windy day at the Foro Italico, Alcaraz said it wasn’t about playing “brilliant,” but rather “smart tennis” was required.
“Waiting for your chances to play aggressive, so I think I did it pretty well,” Alcaraz said. “I stayed strong mentally when things didn’t went to my side.”
Alcaraz is playing the Italian Open for the second time. During his Rome debut last year, he lost to then-135th-ranked Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan in the third round.
The women’s final on Saturday features Coco Gauff against Jasmine Paolini.
Paolini and partner Sara Errani also advanced to the women’s doubles final when they beat Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-4 in a rematch of last year’s Olympic final also won by the Italians.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Jannik Sinner fans wait for the start of the semifinal tennis match against Tommy Paul, of the United States, at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Italy's Jannik Sinner stands on the court during his semifinal tennis match against Tommy Paul, of the United States, at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning the semifinal tennis match against taly's Lorenzo Musetti at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open, at the Foro Italico, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Italy's Lorenzo Musetti returns the ball to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz walks on the court during the semifinal tennis match against Italy's Lorenzo Musetti at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Italy's Lorenzo Musetti returns the ball to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open, at the Foro Italico, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open, at the Foro Italico, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
