According to investigators, Luigi Mangione arrived in New York City on 24 November, 2024, and stayed in a Manhattan hostel using a fake ID for 10 days before Brian Thompson's death.

The healthcare boss was shot in the back by a masked assailant on the morning of 4 December outside of a Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

The suspect fled on foot, bike and taxi to a bus station near the George Washington Bridge. From there, he exited the city.

CCTV showed the suspect on a bike and at a nearby Starbucks cafe.

Six days later, Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania, after a person reportedly recognised his face from photos shared by police.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court

Court could get quite heated – and political - if both sides discuss the death penalty.

Prosecutors formally filed notice of their decision just hours ago, but Attorney General Pam Bondi had already announced in a press release at the start of the month that she had directed NY prosecutors to do so.

In response to that, Luigi Mangione’s defense lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, wrote to the court that the Attorney General had abandoned normal procedures and called the decision a political stunt.

She wrote that Bondi "ordered the death penalty and publicly released her order so she would have content for her newly launched Instagram account".

She also said the court should not presume that the Attorney General had acted in good faith, citing the government’s executive orders against law firms, the controversial dismissal of the criminal case against New York mayor Eric Adams and the deportation of a Maryland man to El Salvador.

Agnifilo Friedman believes prosecutors should be prevented from seeking the death penalty because the process has been "indelibly prejudiced".

If you're wanting to delve further into the details of the Mangione case, you can check out our podcast series covering the trial.

Episode one covers exactly what has happened so far, and Luigi Mangione and Brian Thompson's backgrounds.

You can watch the first episode on YouTube, external now. And you can listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image source, AFP

The case has ignited a fraught debate about how the US healthcare system operates.

Parked outside the federal court in New York today is a large black truck, with a screen on the side. On it is an image of Mangione, alongside text campaigning for the removal of the death sentence possibility in his case.

Just behind it is another truck bashing United HealthCare, sharing stories of people who died of various illnesses and racked up thousands of dollars in medical debt.

In his state case, a large crowd entered the court to watch proceedings. So far, there are no supporters outside today.

Because of the federal charges he faces, Luigi Mangione is now eligible for the death penalty if he is found guilty.

Last night, the prosecution filed a formal notice to seek the death penalty, just hours before today's plea hearing.

Mangione’s legal team previously hit out at the decision, claiming it is political.

They have asked the judge to prevent the possibility of a death penalty. If this bid fails, and Mangione is found guilty in the federal case, the jury would decide in a separate phase of the trial whether to recommend the death penalty.

The decision must be unanimous. If it is, the judge then must impose it.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

I am here at the Lower Manhattan courthouse where alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione is set to be arraigned on federal charges in about an hour.

While Mangione’s previous hearing was swarmed with his supporters, the scene here today is relatively calm.

There are no Luigi fans here yet, but a heavy police presence and dozens of cameras fill the area.

We expect him to enter a plea today on federal murder and stalking charges.

Mangione has already pleaded not guilty to state charges.

Image source, Reuters

Luigi Mangione, the man at the centre of a murder case that gripped the US, is back in court again today in New York.

The 26-year-old will appear to face federal charges, accusing him of stalking, firearms offences and murder. If found guilty, he could receive the death penalty.

Mangione hasn’t entered a plea to these federal charges.

But there is a separate murder case against him which is at the state level. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges. Prosecutors have said the federal and state cases will move forward parallel with one another.

Mangione is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the back on December 4.

Court is set to begin at 13:00 local time (18:00 BST).