After more than a year-and-a-half of intense spectacle and legal wrangling, Luigi Mangione appeared in a federal courtroom in New York on Friday as rumours swirled that he may plead guilty.

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The 28-year-old, accused of shooting dead UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street in December 2024, arrived wearing a beige prison uniform with a white T-shirt underneath.

His feet were shackled and he held his hands behind his back, although US marshals had not handcuffed him.

A crowd of press, supporters of Mangione, observers, and a handful of court staff members who had won a lottery to attend gathered in the packed courtroom.

And in the front row seated behind the prosecution: Thompson’s family members, who at times appeared visibly emotional.

As the packed room awaited the arrival of Judge Margaret Garnett, Mangione conferred with his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo, reviewing papers as we waited to hear whether Mangione would admit to the killing for the first time.

The hearing had been scheduled to begin at 11:00, but started slightly later.

It began with an immediate jolt.