A federal judge has ruled that prosecutors cannot pursue the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024.
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett determined that the key federal murder charge under which the government sought capital punishment was flawed and dismissed two charges, meaning federal prosecutors may not seek execution if Mangione is convicted.
The ruling came Friday in Manhattan federal court, effectively blocking the Trump administration’s bid to impose a death sentence in what Justice Department officials had described as a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”
Other federal charges remain active, and those could carry penalties up to life in prison, but the death penalty is now off the table at the federal level.
Mangione is accused of fatally shooting Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4, 2024, as the CEO attended a health care conference.
Mangione, 26, was arrested in Pennsylvania with a manifesto criticizing corporate health care greed and faces remaining federal counts of stalking and interstate firearms transport, alongside state charges.
He pleaded not guilty to both federal and state murder charges and is currently in custody pending trial.
Jury selection is expected to get underway later this year, though the schedule could shift depending on how the case develops in the months ahead.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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I guess the video showing clear use of a firearm was insufficient evidence for this corrupt judge.
Strike to remove the judge refile in a different court. Ask for an immediate halt in the trial and appeal to the Appellant Federal Court. Here’s an obvious case of premediated murder this Judge is an idiot. He should be removed from the bench.
Well, the activist are getting paid to do their protests. I doubt most want to die but if you are where you should not be and threatening law enforcement literally, you might be in trouble mainly for stupidity. Dismantle the protest. Time to arrest, detain and disburse the morons!