Luigi Mangione will not face death penalty in CEO killing case, judge rules
WASHINGTON (TNND) — A federal district judge has ruled that Luigi Mangione should not face the death penalty if he is convicted of allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The ruling is a loss for federal prosecutors, intent on seeking the death penalty for Mangione, who described the case as a "premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America."
Judge Margaret Garnett found that the federal murder charge against Mangione was "technically flawed." She did, however, leave in place stalking charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal and state murder charges. The state murder charges also carry the possibility of life in prison. He was due back in court on Friday morning for a conference in the case.
The judge also ruled on Friday to allow evidence recovered from Mangione's backpack at the time of his arrest into the trial, CNN reports.
Law enforcement had seized items from his backpack upon his capture, including a gun police said matched the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook where Mangione purportedly described his intent to “wack” a health insurance executive.
Mangione's attorneys argued for the evidence to be barred from trial. The attorneys argued the search of Mangione's backpack was illegal because a warrant had not yet been obtained, and without an "immediate threat," there was no justification for a search without a warrant.
Jury selection in Mangione’s federal trial is set to start on September 8.
Judge Garnett had previously said the trial will begin on October 13 if the death penalty is excluded or on Jan. 11, 2027, if the case proceeds as a capital matter.
The state trial has yet to be scheduled. The Manhattan district attorney’s office sent a letter on Wednesday requesting that the judge in that case set a July 1 trial date.
On Wednesday night, a man posing as an FBI agent attempted to bust Mangione out of the Brooklyn jail holding center, according to law enforcement sources.
Mangione is accused of stalking and murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York on Dec. 4, 2024. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say "delay," "deny" and "depose" were written on the bullets, mimicking wording used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.
Mangione was tracked down after the deadly shooting and found a few days later at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
_______
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
