Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in December 2024, has requested an unexpected court hearing, fuelling speculation that he may be preparing to accept a plea deal. His lawyers and federal prosecutors jointly asked for the hearing to take place at 11am on Friday in Manhattan Federal Court, and the request has been granted, according to NBC News. A former federal prosecutor told the Daily Mail that a plea deal would likely secure Mangione a lighter sentence than a trial, and could also allow him to avoid his separate state murder charges under New York's double jeopardy protections.

Mangione, 28, faces federal charges of stalking resulting in death, after a murder charge involving a firearm was dropped, as well as state charges including second-degree murder and weapons possession over the fatal shooting of Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Legal expert David S. Weinstein said a plea deal would benefit Mangione by allowing negotiation of sentencing factors and potentially triggering New York's double jeopardy rules, which could see the state case dismissed if it is deemed to stem from the same conduct as a resolved federal case. Mangione himself appeared to allude to this defence during a February hearing, and his federal trial had been scheduled for early next year.