Federal Judge Dismisses Death Penalty Charges Against Luigi Mangione in CEO's Killing

A federal judge has dismissed charges carrying the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, while allowing other charges to proceed.

U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett ruled that the federal murder charge and a related firearms offense were legally flawed and dismissed them. However, two federal stalking counts remain, each carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without parole. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Judge Garnett determined that the murder charge was technically flawed, as it required a "crime of violence" to be applicable. Prosecutors argued that Mangione's alleged stalking of Thompson met this criterion, but Garnett disagreed. She stated that while the analysis might seem "tortured and strange," it was a committed effort to apply Supreme Court dictates faithfully.

Defense attorney Karen Agnifilo expressed relief at the decision, calling it an "incredible decision." Mangione appeared in court for a brief pre-trial hearing, during which his supporters were heard cheering in the hallways.

The 27-year-old is accused of fatally shooting Thompson outside a midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024, as the executive was heading to an investor conference. The incident led to a widespread manhunt, culminating in Mangione's arrest at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9, 2024.

Judge Garnett also ruled that evidence seized from Mangione's backpack at the time of his arrest—including a ghost gun, fake IDs, and writings detailing grievances against the private health care system—can be presented at trial. The defense had argued that the search was illegal, but Garnett found it reasonable under the circumstances.

Attorney General Pam Bondi had previously directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Mangione, marking the Justice Department's first such attempt during President Donald Trump's second term. Bondi described the act as a "premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America."

In a separate state case, Mangione faces nine counts, including second-degree murder and various weapons charges, with the possibility of life imprisonment. He has pleaded not guilty in that case as well. New York does not have the death penalty at the state level, following its declaration as unconstitutional in 2004.

Judge Garnett's rulings came a day after a Minnesota man was charged with impersonating an FBI agent in an attempt to free Mangione from federal custody. Authorities arrested Mark Anderson at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he was found carrying items including a barbecue fork and a steel blade resembling a pizza cutter.