Man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO pleads not guilty

NEW YORK (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally gunning down UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street, pleaded not guilty Monday morning to New York state murder charges that branded him a terrorist.

The 26-year-old was escorted into a 13th-floor courtoom in the New York State Criminal Courthouse in Lower Manhattan, with a court officer on each arm, and a procession of a half dozen officers following him.

He was in handcuffs and shackles, and wore a burgundy sweater over a white collared shirt.

During his court appearance, when asked how he pleaded, Mangione leaned into the microphone and said, "Not guilty" to the 11-count indictment which includes three murder charges, including murder as an act of terrorism.

If convicted, Mangione faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Monday's arraignment was the second court appearance in New York for Mangione since he was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

The arrest came five days after the brazen, pre-dawn December 4 killing of Thompson outside a hotel in midtown Manhattan where his company was gathering for an investor conference.

Mangione also faces a four-count federal criminal complaint charging him with stalking and killing Thompson. He has not yet been asked to enter a plea to those charges.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker ordered Mangione detained at a December 19 presentment on those charges.

More than two dozen members of the public sat in the audience of the courtroom where Mangione was presented.

A small group of protesters had gathered outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse in sub-freezing temperatures expressing support for Mangione and anger at healthcare companies.