Suspect in UnitedHealth CEO's Murder Claims Innocence, Faces Life Sentence

Investing.com -- The suspect in the murder of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, Luigi Mangione, pleaded not guilty to murder charges in New York State on Monday. Among the charges is a count describing him as a terrorist.

The 26-year-old Mangione was brought into the courtroom on the 13th floor of the New York State Supreme Court in lower Manhattan with two court officers and followed by about half a dozen other officers. Handcuffed and shackled, Mangione wore a maroon sweater over a white collared shirt.

When asked how he responded to the 11-count indictment, including three counts of murder, Mangione leaned into the microphone and said "not guilty." If found guilty, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

This was Mangione's second court appearance in New York following his arrest at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was captured five days after the murder of Thompson, which occurred outside a hotel in midtown Manhattan hosting his company's investor conference on April 12, 2024.

In addition to the state charges, Mangione is also facing a four-count federal indictment accusing him of stalking and killing Thompson. He has not yet responded to those charges. U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker ordered Mangione to remain detained regarding these charges at a hearing set for December 19, 2024.

During Mangione's court appearance, more than twenty people were present in the spectator section of the courtroom.