Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty as US prosecutors seek death penalty for CEO killing

Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal charges of gunning down health insurance executive Brian Thompson, a day after US prosecutors formally stated their intent to seek the death penalty.

Mangione, 26, wore a tan jail-issued T-shirt as he was led into the packed lower Manhattan courtroom. He previously pleaded not guilty to a separate set of New York state charges over the December 4 killing of Thompson, the former CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance unit UnitedHealthcare.

He entered the plea at an arraignment before US District Judge Margaret Garnett.

The brazen shooting of Thompson outside a midtown Manhattan hotel, where the company had gathered for an investor conference, and the ensuing five-day manhunt, captivated Americans.

Authorities say the words “deny”, “delay”, and “depose” – a phrase that echoes tactics some accuse health insurers of using to avoid paying out claims – were found written on shell casings at the crime scene.

While public officials condemned the killing, some Americans have cheered Mangione, saying he drew attention to steep US healthcare costs and the power of health insurers to refuse payment for some treatments.