NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors can’t seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a judge ruled Friday, foiling the Trump administration’s bid to see him executed for what it called a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed a federal murder charge against Mangione, finding that it was technically flawed. Garnett left in place stalking charges that carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.
Mangione, 27, pleaded not guilty to federal and state murder charges. The state charges also carry the possibility of life in prison.
Jury selection in the federal case is scheduled to begin on September 8. The state trial hasn’t been scheduled yet. On Wednesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office sent a letter urging the judge in that case to set a July 1 trial date.
Thompson, 50, was killed on December 4, 2024, as he walked to a midtown Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles west of Manhattan.
Following through on Trump’s campaign promise to vigorously pursue capital punishment, Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors last April to seek the death penalty against Mangione.
It was the first time the Justice Department was seeking to bring the death penalty in President Donald Trump’s second term, reviving discussions about federal executions which were halted under his predecessor, President Joe Biden.
Garnett's decision comes after a slew of court filings in the prosecution and defense in recent months, with oral arguments concluding recently.
