UnitedHealth CEO Killer Pleads Guilty to Stalking Charges, Faces Up to 30 Years
Paulette Thompson, the widow of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, made a rare public appearance at Luigi Mangione's hearing in Manhattan Federal Court on August 14. This was her first time face-to-face with her husband's killer, who had admitted to shooting him dead in December 2024. Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges and confessed to gunning down the CEO outside a Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan as he walked to a conference.
The Thompson family has been targeted by Mangione's fans since his arrest, with some supporters even traveling to court hearings to show their support. The family has largely kept a low profile, but Paulette attended Mangione's hearing to see him plead guilty to stalking charges. Mangione's lawyers argued that the admission of guilt meant it was impossible to try him again for murder due to double jeopardy laws.
As part of his plea deal, Mangione faces between 24 and 30 years behind bars on the stalking charges. He previously admitted to shooting Thompson after learning about the UnitedHealthcare investor conference and printing a gun with a 3D printer. The family's ordeal began within 24 hours of Brian Thompson's killing, when two fake bomb threats were made against his and Paulette's separate homes in Maple Grove, Minnesota.