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Mangione Confirms He's Prepared to Plead Guilty; Mangione Pleads Guilty on Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired August 14, 2026 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:30:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: He is pleading guilty to right now that the judge is questioning him on.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: So, it's two stalking charges, Pamela. One of them has to do with stalking. Both of them have to do obviously with stalking Brian Thompson. You know, in the federal system it's very different. There's really no murder charge in the federal system. So, this is the way in which the federal government chose to charge him. And those stalking charges, one of them involves the death of Brian Thompson. And both those charges, the stalking, carry life in prison.

There were additional charges that were initially filed that had to do with other things and the murder of Brian Thompson. And those carried the death penalty. His attorneys were able to successfully argue to the judge that those charges were inappropriate under the law or inappropriate under the law. And they were dismissed. And after that, obviously, that took the death penalty off the table. And the only thing that was left was for him to face life in prison.

Look, this is a very difficult case for these -- for his defense attorneys to defend. There is video. There's just so much evidence that it would have been insurmountable for them to somehow overcome the evidence. I mean, they weren't going to put forth any kind of psychiatric defense. So, they would have had a really, really tough time. And so, right now their only hope was to hopefully get some leniency from this judge.

No one expects Luigi Mangione to get a light sentence. But I'm sure his attorneys and his family are hoping that perhaps maybe somehow, they could do something to get him out at some point. We're getting more information now. You know, this is a process that goes on. It's kind of tedious. But, you know, the law is the law, and you have to follow the law here. And that's what the judge is doing and the prosecutors. And they're going over what the state would have to prove, what they would need to do to meet the elements of the crime. And so, that is what we're seeing from inside court at the moment.

The judge is now referencing, just to say quickly, the state case, saying that if Mangione is convicted and sentenced in the state case, his sentence could run consecutively. And then Mangione again speaking, saying that he understood that. So, that basically means, let's say if the state case was to go ahead, that would just -- if he was to be convicted, the prison time that he would receive in that could run consecutively on top of whatever the judge here is giving him. So, he's facing the rest of his life in prison.

BROWN: OK. All right. We are going to take a quick break as this is all developing right now. Everyone, stand by. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:35:00]

BROWN: All right. Let's go back out to our Shimon Prokupecz right outside the courthouse in New York City, where Luigi Mangione confirms he is prepared to plead guilty. Tell us more, Shimon.

PROKUPECZ: OK. So, I'm going to just bring it to you right now from inside the courtroom. Mangione has begun speaking, and here we go. After years of enduring pain from a broken back and witnessing similar experiences of others, he said he learned UnitedHealthcare would be holding its annual investor conference in December 2024. He said the public location wasn't posted, but he researched to learn the location and who would be there. This is him now in court speaking to the judge in this allocution. This is the part for the judge to decide whether or not she's going to accept this plea.

And he's now describing in his own words how he was stalking UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, saying that he learned of where he was going to be and that after years of enduring pain from a broken back and witnessing similar experiences of others, he researched where Brian Thompson would be at an investor conference in Manhattan in 2024. Brian Thompson's family seated, Pamela, in the front row. They are crying, is what our reporter Kara Scannell is telling us.

What a moment for that family to come face to face. Just, it breaks my heart because they have been so silent, and they have not said anything throughout this whole ordeal. To see their loved one to be murdered in this way, and now the man responsible for it standing up in court for them will be excuses.

And none of this is going to make sense. To hear him explain why he did what he did. And we have heard this from Luigi Mangione before during the investigation of this, where he was having issues with his back. But for this family to sit there and listen to this.

[11:40:00]

And he's now -- here we go, Pam. Again, he says to the judge, I shot Mr. Thompson, and he died.

BROWN: Wow.

PROKUPECZ: He concluded by saying, I knew what I was doing was illegal. Again, I shot Mr. Thompson, and he died. I knew what I was doing was illegal. That family is sitting in that courtroom listening to this.

BROWN: Wow. PROKUPECZ: Again, he admits now, in his own words. to stalking Brian Thompson. He says that in November of 2024 that he traveled -- Luigi Mangione telling the judge, I traveled from outside of New York State to Manhattan. He came from outside of New York. I emailed UnitedHealthcare leadership. Wow. So, this I have not -- I don't think I've heard this. I don't remember ever hearing this. I then emailed UnitedHealthcare leadership. This is Luigi Mangione say that he emailed UnitedHealthcare leadership posing as an investor at a firm managing over $15 billion in assets and requested information about the conference.

BROWN: Wow.

PROKUPECZ: Unlike my previous interactions with insurers, he received an immediate response within an hour, and that is how he learned where Brian Thompson would be on the morning, he would execute him.

BROWN: I've never heard that, Shimon.

PROKUPECZ: So, this really even highlights more -- I have not heard that either, Pam. This is new information. And obviously, this all came up during the NYPD and the FBI's investigation, when they were probably going through his computer and his phone and his email. But this is just so striking that he emailed -- this is how long he had been planning this. And this tells you his frame of mind, that he emailed UnitedHealthcare leadership, posing as a $15 billion investor of an investment fund, to learn where he was.

And I just cannot imagine -- again, Pam, I think we have to keep thinking about the Thompson family, which is seated in that front row.

BROWN: Shimon, he just pleaded guilty, and the judge accepted it. I'm being told in my ear.

PROKUPECZ: Well, OK. There you go. Well, there we go. And so, that ends this now. The judge accepting the plea. Let me just go back here and read from our notes. I just think we want to go over the other details here. Saying, the prosecutors say they have security footage showing Mangione arriving in New York City on a bus on November 24, following Thompson around Midtown Manhattan on December 3, 2024, and in the days prior. He had been stalking him. He has seen that horrific video. And now, he has officially pleaded guilty. The judge accepting this plea. And now, we wait for the next moment here.

What happens to the state case? What happens at sentencing? This is going to be a fight for his attorneys, Karen Agnifilo and Mark Agnifilo, husband and wife, who have been doing many high-profile cases in this city, will now have the ultimate fight on their hands to try and somehow persuade this judge.

Hearing what he just said, the manner in which he stalked Brian Thompson, followed him around the days before, murdering him, executing him in the early morning hours in December, the way in which he described why he did what he did, why he murdered him, why he shot him, this is all going to have to play on the judge's mind as she ultimately decides his sentencing. We now have a sentencing date, which is going to be December 18, Friday, December 18 at 8:00 a.m. That is when he will be sentenced.

And no doubt there's going to be a lot of work a lot of work in the days and really what we have several months before we hit December, motions and I'm sure other legal maneuvers by the defense team to try and prevent Luigi Mangione from spending the rest of his life in jail.

We are now getting also word that there's going to be a press conference just outside the courthouse here with the NYPD commissioner, Jessica Tisch, the U.S. attorney, Jamie McDonald, outside here. This should happen shortly, Pam.

[11:345:00]

But this will be a moment for them, too. You know, Police Commissioner Tisch, I interviewed her in the days after this happened, and this was a big moment for this city, just how brazen this crime was. There was a lot of concern. Remember what this case did to CEOs all across the country. There was a lot of fear that CEOs were being targeted and people had to step up security.

CEOs were hiring security. Companies were beefing up security because there was real concern that there was this, I mean, really movement in this country targeting CEOs. People were so angry over what happened here. And the NYPD took that very seriously, and for days they investigated this case. And when you hear of this new evidence that we had not heard of before, it really tells you that they continued and continued investigating this case.

Now, we will get to hear from the police commissioner. We have no word on if we're going to hear from the family. The family, the Thompson family, came in through a side door. They've never spoken. But I am really, really struck by the fact that they were in this courtroom, and good for them for being here as victims of this horrific crime to face the murderer, to face the man who killed their husband, their father, Brian Thompson's mother is in court, a son, and they had this moment to face him. They were crying and to make sure he knew what he meant, what Brian Thompson meant to this family.

And so, we wait for the sensing. It's going to be a big moment. And perhaps we'll hear from the Thompson family at that point in December to talk about their loved one. And I think it's also important, of course, obviously, to end that. Now, what happens to the case? That's going to be the next move here. Does double jeopardy apply? Will the judge move forward with dismissing that case? Because really significant also is the words that Luigi Mangione just said in court, confessing to this murder, to the killing of Brian Thompson, essentially, is going to be used against him. Those words are going to be used against him by prosecutors. It's a confession. So, that's going to be significant should that case proceed.

BROWN: Yes. I mean, and as we've been noting, his attorneys are trying to get that case, that trial to go away by Luigi Mangione pleading guilty today. I'm told he is now out of the courtroom. We are now seeing people come outside. We'll see if Brian Thompson's family comes out and speaks at all. I just want to go to Areva on some of this information coming out of the courtroom today from Luigi Mangione. For the first time, I'm learning, and Shimon said he hadn't heard it as well, that Luigi Mangione posed as an investor with a firm and just reached out via email to the insurance company and then received a response within an hour. And that is what helped lead him to Brian Thompson, where he said, I shot him and he died. I knew what I did was illegal. Wow, Areva.

AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY AND LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Yes, that's a shocking detail, Pam. I remember early on when this case came to light, when all of the publicity, we had all the reports. And I just remember the people who were supporting Mangione, who were glorifying what he did, who were making him out to be some kind of martyr. And it was really sickening at that time.

And now, to hear the deception involved, how he found out about that meeting, that meeting, which was otherwise not a public meeting, that individuals who had not been invited wouldn't have even had access to that CEO. And he used, you know, he posed as this manager of this large fund to get that information and then to stop Brian Thompson to show up at that meeting, to shoot him in broad daylight on a street in Manhattan, just makes the nature of this crime even more heinous.

And I just hope all those people who somehow thought that this was an act of courage now understand what a heinous act of cowardness this was. Again, my heart goes out to the family that had to hear this, but hopefully this begins some kind of closure for them. That sentencing hearing that will take place in December will give them an opportunity to present impact statements and to talk about how horrific the loss of Mr. Thompson has been for this family. Again, we talk about the state court.

At this point, Pamela, you can only imagine that this is about where he's going to serve time, because it is clear that he is going to get a life sentence, whether it's from this federal court or if he is convicted in state court.

[11:50:00]

And the lawyers are jockeying now to determine does that life sentence happen in a federal prison or in a state prison, but certain that he is going to spend the rest of his life in prison as he should for the admission that he just made in that courtroom today.

BROWN: Yes, just absolutely chilling, Areva. We are expecting to hear from the NYPD soon at a press conference, so we're standing by for that. But I'm wondering what your thoughts are on how this could impact the state case, Areva?

MARTIN: We know the state district attorney, Alvin Bragg, has said he is going to fight any efforts by the defense team to have the state case dismissed. He's going to argue that the devil jeopardy laws in the state of New York don't prevent the state court from going forward, and he's going to ask the state court judge to allow this state court case to go forward. New York has a vested interest in trying this case, in sending a message to other CEOs, to other individuals, to the residents of the city and State of New York.

Send the message that if this kind of crime occurs in New York, that the prosecutors are going to do everything within their power to bring a criminal like Mangione to justice. So, the state still has an interest in trying him, even though he's already admitted to this murder in this federal court proceeding, and even though he's going to be sentenced to what would likely be like, maybe like without parole, which is an option for this federal court judge when this sentencing hearing does occur in December.

BROWN: All right. Michael Smerconish is actually standing by and wants to get in on this conversation. Michael, what are your thoughts?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I want to follow up on something that Areva said a -- I'm hearing myself in reverb. So, I'm going to take out my earpiece and hopefully you'll be able to hear me make this point.

I want to follow up something Areva said about the perverse nature, the way in which some have received this horrific murder. On 54th Street, where this transpired, the hotel where Brian Thompson spent his last night is a hotel where I would often stay when working for SiriusXM and CNN. And I remember being on that block in the immediate aftermath, two or three days later. What was surreal is the fact that there were no candles, there were no flowers, there was no memorial for Brian Thompson.

And what I remember is that on a telephone pole that was adjacent to the murder scene, I saw something that depicted Luigi Mangione as a saint. You might remember that there were wanted posters that were then put up in that neighborhood for other corporate leaders. All of the glamour and panache that has surrounded this man, I just find twisted and tragic. And I can only hope that the way in which now he has just articulated exactly what he did is going to change minds, maybe not, but of those people that have glamorized this killer. I can say killer now without any fear of contradiction because of what he has said.

And one other observation I'd make is what a sin that we all couldn't watch. There ought to be cameras in courtrooms all across the United States, including federal courtrooms and including the Supreme Court of the United States.

BROWN: Yes. I am with you on that, Michael Smerconish. Our Kara Scannell just came outside of that courtroom. Kara, you were there for every second of what went down. Tell us about it.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, Luigi Mangione was led into the courtroom. He's wearing a great beige prison outfit, escorted by two U.S. marshals, where he sat down between his attorneys. The judge went through the process asking him if he understood his rights, if he had taken any medication, if he was under any medical care. All of his answers were crisp and clear, someone who was definitely in control and aware of what was going on today. And then when she started to ask him the specifics of his guilty plea to explain what he had done that was wrong, Mangione chose to stay seated, and he started to read from a piece of paper. The judge actually stopped him and asked him to slow down because he was going too quickly through it.

But a few things that stood out to me from what he said is he started it by saying, after years of enduring severe pain for a broken back, navigating obstacles in the health care system, so underscoring again what his motive here in this case is. And he walked through it saying another thing he's underscoring, what he had previously written about in those writings, the greed of the health care industry.

He said he had emailed UnitedHealthcare's leadership trying to find out about the specific location of the investor conference where he was targeting Brian Thompson.

[11:55:00]

He said he claimed to have $50 billion in assets. And he said, unlike his other previous interactions with the health care industry, he got a response immediately, within an hour. Then he went on to explain that he had made a gun using a 3D printer, that he had obtained a silencer. And then he said he traveled to New York with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson. He said, I knew what I was doing was illegal. He did not say it was wrong.

Now, as he was speaking, I was watching the family members who were sitting in the front row. And one of them I recognized was his widow. She was breathing heavily, clasping the arm of the woman sitting next to her. You could see the family members fighting back tears, holding onto each other's hands as he was describing in detail what he had done.

Later in the proceeding, the judge had asked the prosecutor if this satisfied the plea agreement or not an agreement, but it satisfied the plea and the elements of the crime. He said it did. And the judge asked him if Brian Thompson was aware what was happening between that first and second bullet that entered him. And the prosecutor said he was. That caused some gas from the family members that were sitting in the front row, the pain of this experience quite visible to them.

I will say, for Mangione, he spoke very clearly, very level-headed. I only saw when he first got into the courtroom before the proceedings got underway. He looked over toward the direction of the family members. It's unclear if he knew exactly who they were. But, otherwise, he just kept his eyes focused for the most time on the judge. He didn't really look around the courtroom.

And after the proceeding was over, he stood up and he was led away by the marshals, where he will stay in federal custody, never once turning around again to look at the filled courtroom that was packed mostly with reporters, but also with several rows, members of the public there to witness it. And, for the most part, you could hear a pin drop inside, other than the physical reaction from the family members, with a few sobs. Pam.

BROWN: Yes, I just -- your heart goes out to those family members. It must have been so crushing to sit there and hear Luigi Mangione say that he killed their loved one, he knew it was illegal, and he died. Areva Martin, what's your takeaway from everything Kara just laid out?

MARTIN: Yes, I think this was a good day for the prosecutors. I think it's a good day for the family. Nothing's going to bring Mr. Thompson back. Nothing's going to, you know, ease the pain of grief and loss that they will continue to experience. But this is a significant day in this case, because at least we now know why he did it. He attributes it to his ongoing back pain. We know how he did it, the emailing, getting that information, posing as some type of investor or investment manager. And he admitted to what we all saw, what we all knew was on that surveillance videotape. A painful moment for this family, but a good day for justice in this country.

BROWN: Michael Smerconish, as we wrap up, I want to give some final thoughts to you.

SMERCONISH: Well, I certainly understand the legal maneuver by the lawyers for Luigi Mangione. It's probably a smart gambit that they're making. Being an optimist about the big picture here, I'll just follow up what Areva said and hope that now the family has been spared what would have been the federal trial. As you've been discussing in detail, a lot of doubt as to what comes next relative to the state proceedings. But sparing them additional pain, I think is a good thing.

BROWN: Why do you think this case has garnered so much attention, Michael? You have a radio show. I'm sure you're hearing from callers about all of this.

SMERCONISH: Oh, I remember when it happened, Pam. I remember talking about how appalling I found the receptiveness to so many people to this guy. And I would field calls not from people who defended the murder, but who wanted to immediately share their own complaint about dealing with the insurance infrastructure.

BROWN: Yes. Tell us more about that and just the significance of now this moment Luigi Mangione pleading guilty and admitting to some of these horrific details like posing as an investor to get details on where Brian Thompson would be and then using that information, he was given from the company to track him down and kill him in cold blood.

SMERCONISH: I fear that that's going to spur some type of feeling of kindred spirit with him by some among us like, yes, I too have had the experience of waiting on hold and being shuffled and having a claim denied and look at this guy, all he had to tell them is that he wanted to be an investor and they were ready to welcome him into the conference.

I just want to put an end to the glamorization of someone who murdered an individual, a then 50-year-old husband and father of two and he became then the -- you know, the poster example of sainthood, at least in the vicinity --

[12:00:00]