Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty Friday to a federal murder charge in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as prosecutors formally declared their intent to seek the death penalty and the judge warned the Justice Department to stop making public comments that could spoil the case. Mangione, 26, stood with his lawyers as he entered the plea, leaning forward toward a microphone on the defense table as U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett asked him if understood the indictment, which charges him with stalking and shooting Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last December. Mangione said, “yes.” Asked how he wished to plead, he said simply, “not guilty" and sat down. MORE: https://www.wthr.com/article/news/nation-world/luigi-mangione-pleads-not-guilty-federal-murder-charge-killing-unitedhealthcare-ceo/507-4b69b276-4a41-47c4-9d21-14a586aa7a19