Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to two federal stalking charges linked to the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Friday, August 14. His federal sentencing is set for December 18. His lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, has been at the centre of his defence since the case began. The veteran New York attorney has a rare background: she once worked as one of Manhattan’s top prosecutors and is now defending a man accused of killing a major US healthcare executive.
Mangione told the court, “I shot Mr. Thompson and he died,” and added, “I knew what I was doing was illegal.
Why is Karen Friedman Agnifilo important in Luigi Mangione’s case?
Her defence team secured an important federal ruling earlier this year when prosecutors lost the ability to seek the death penalty against Mangione. During Friday’s hearing, Agnifilo confirmed there was no plea agreement with the government and no agreed sentencing range. A New York judge also dismissed the terrorism-related murder charge in the state case, leaving Mangione facing a second-degree murder charge there. Friday’s guilty plea changes the federal case but does not automatically end the separate state prosecution. His lawyers could now argue that the state case should be dismissed on double-jeopardy grounds, although that issue would have to be decided by the court. Mangione could face life in prison under the federal charges, while the judge will decide his final sentence.
Mangione is still due to face the New York murder case, with jury selection scheduled for September 8.
