‘I shot Mr Thompson’- What it was like inside court as Mangione pleaded guilty

Afte mo e tha a yea -a d-a-half of i te se spectacle a d legal w a gli g, Luigi Ma gio e appea ed i a fede al cou t oom i New Yo k o F iday as umou s swi led that he may plead guilty.

The 28-yea -old, accused of shooti g dead U itedHealthca e chief executive B ia Thompso o a Ma hatta st eet i Decembe 2024, a ived wea i g a beige p iso u ifo m with a white T-shi t u de eath.

His feet we e shackled a d he held his ha ds behi d his back, although US ma shals had ot ha dcuffed him.

A c owd of p ess, suppo te s of Ma gio e, obse ve s, a d a ha dful of cou t staff membe s who had wo a lotte y to atte d gathe ed i the packed cou t oom.

A d i the f o t ow seated behi d the p osecutio : Thompso ‘s family membe s, who at times appea ed visibly emotio al.

As the packed oom awaited the a ival of Judge Ma ga et Ga ett, Ma gio e co fe ed with his lawye Ka e F iedma Ag ifilo, eviewi g pape s as we waited to hea whethe Ma gio e would admit to the killi g fo the fi st time.

The hea i g had bee scheduled to begi at 11:00, but sta ted slightly late .

It bega with a immediate jolt.

F iedma Ag ifilo told the judge: “M Ma gio e is p epa ed to plead guilty at this time.”

F om the o it was sile t, as the judge asked Ma gio e a se ies of questio s to e su e he u de stood the decisio he was about to make. She asked him about his backg ou d a d use of medicatio s. He a swe ed the questio s te sely but fi mly.

Asked if he u de stood that he could face life i p iso – he eplied, “yes”.

O ly whe bega to ead a stateme t to the cou t, did Ma gio e appea to falte . His speech was ushed, a d somewhat mumbled.

Afte Judge Ga ett politely suggested he lea i to the mic opho e, he co ti ued steadily u til he eached his co clusio : a admissio that he had killed Thompso .

The e had bee epo ts i US media leadi g up to the hea i g that Ma gio e would be taki g a plea deal. That is ot what happe ed – Ma gio e simply cha ged his plea of ot guilty to guilty.

“Afte yea s of e du i g seve e pai s f om a b oke back” a d deali g with the healthca e i su a ce i dust y, Ma gio e stated that he had lea ed U itedHealthca e would hold a a ual co fe e ce i Ma hatta i Decembe 2024.

He esea ched o li e a d emailed the compa y posi g as a i vesto to lea mo e about the eve t, Ma gio e told the cou t. “U like p evious i te actio s with i su a ce” he got a quick eply, he said.

He told the cou t he used a 3D p i te to make a gu .

A d o the mo i g of 4 Decembe 2024, Ma gio e co fessed: “I shot M Thompso i Ma hatta a d he died.”

It ma ked the fi st time a cou t had hea d Ma gio e tell the sto y of how he committed a c ime that p ompted a media sto m a d wo ldwide atte tio .

“M Ma gio e, how do you ow plead?” Judge Ga ett asked the defe da t befo e he .

Ma gio e lea ed i to the mic opho e befo e him a d stated: “Guilty.”

“I will accept you guilty plea,” the judge said.

Membe s of Thompso ‘s family we e emotio al as he issued the admissio fo the fi st time. I a stateme t sho tly afte , they said the day ma ked a impo ta t step towa d justice.

Ma gio e is scheduled to be se te ced o 18 Decembe . The maximum se te ce fo each of the two stalki g cha ges is life i p iso .

P osecuto s have ecomme ded Ma gio e se ve betwee 24-30 yea s i p iso . But ultimately Judge Ga ett will decide his se te ce.

His t ial o sepa ate state cha ges stemmi g f om the mu de is still scheduled to begi i Septembe .