Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, will not face the death penalty if convicted, a court has ruled. US District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed the federal firearms charges against the 27-year-old that carried the possibility of capital punishment. He will still face stalking charges, which can bring a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Mangione was arrested days after he allegedly shot Thompson as the health insurance firm CEO walked into a New York City hotel on 4 December 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to all federal and state charges.
After the ruling, Mangione's attorney Karen Agnifilo thanked the court for 'this incredible decision', according to the BBC's US partner CBS News. 'We're all very relieved,' she said. 'We're prepared, and have been prepared, to fight this case, and we look forward to fighting this case.'
In her ruling, Garnett, an appointee of former US President Joe Biden, stated that two of the four federal charges did not meet 'the federal statutory definition of a crime of violence' as a matter of law. She noted that her decision was 'solely to foreclose the death penalty as an available punishment to be considered by the jury.'
Garnett's ruling was a setback for the justice department, which had described Thompson's murder as a 'premeditated, cold-blooded assassination'. The judge has given the government 30 days to challenge her decision to rule out the death penalty in the case.
In a win for prosecutors, Garnett stated they could present evidence from Mangione's backpack, which he had at the time of his arrest at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The items included a gun, fake IDs, and a notebook detailing grievances against the US healthcare system.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, is also facing nine charges in a separate case brought by New York state prosecutors, including second-degree murder. Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was shot from behind by a masked gunman as he walked into a Manhattan hotel for an annual investor conference.
Investigators found keywords 'deny', 'defend', and 'depose' on shell casings at the crime scene, which may refer to the tactics used by insurance companies to reject payment claims.
Jury selection for the federal trial is set to begin on 8 September, while state prosecutors aim for a trial as early as July. In a related development, a man was arrested for allegedly impersonating an FBI agent to free Mangione from jail.
Mangione was arrested days after he allegedly shot Thompson as the health insurance firm CEO walked into a New York City hotel on 4 December 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to all federal and state charges.
After the ruling, Mangione's attorney Karen Agnifilo thanked the court for 'this incredible decision', according to the BBC's US partner CBS News. 'We're all very relieved,' she said. 'We're prepared, and have been prepared, to fight this case, and we look forward to fighting this case.'
In her ruling, Garnett, an appointee of former US President Joe Biden, stated that two of the four federal charges did not meet 'the federal statutory definition of a crime of violence' as a matter of law. She noted that her decision was 'solely to foreclose the death penalty as an available punishment to be considered by the jury.'
Garnett's ruling was a setback for the justice department, which had described Thompson's murder as a 'premeditated, cold-blooded assassination'. The judge has given the government 30 days to challenge her decision to rule out the death penalty in the case.
In a win for prosecutors, Garnett stated they could present evidence from Mangione's backpack, which he had at the time of his arrest at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The items included a gun, fake IDs, and a notebook detailing grievances against the US healthcare system.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, is also facing nine charges in a separate case brought by New York state prosecutors, including second-degree murder. Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was shot from behind by a masked gunman as he walked into a Manhattan hotel for an annual investor conference.
Investigators found keywords 'deny', 'defend', and 'depose' on shell casings at the crime scene, which may refer to the tactics used by insurance companies to reject payment claims.
Jury selection for the federal trial is set to begin on 8 September, while state prosecutors aim for a trial as early as July. In a related development, a man was arrested for allegedly impersonating an FBI agent to free Mangione from jail.
