Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty if convicted of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a federal judge has ruled. US District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two of the four federal charges against the 27-year-old, including murder through use of a firearm, which carried the potential death sentence.
Mangione was arrested days after he allegedly shot Thompson as he was walking into a conference on a busy Manhattan street in December 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, including the two remaining federal counts of stalking and separate state murder charges.
Jury selection in the federal trial is slated to begin on 8 September with opening statements starting on 13 October. However, state prosecutors are seeking to try Mangione as soon as 1 July. In her ruling, Judge Garnett 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 emphasized that her decision was solely to eliminate the death penalty as a potential punishment in the jury's considerations. Garnett also permitted prosecutors to use evidence from Mangione's seized backpack at the time of his arrest, which contained a ghost gun, fake IDs, and a notebook with writings detailing personal grievances regarding the health care system. Defense attorneys had argued to dismiss this evidence, claiming it was obtained through an illegal search.
Mangione faces nine charges in a separate case from New York state prosecutors, including second-degree murder.
Mangione was arrested days after he allegedly shot Thompson as he was walking into a conference on a busy Manhattan street in December 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, including the two remaining federal counts of stalking and separate state murder charges.
Jury selection in the federal trial is slated to begin on 8 September with opening statements starting on 13 October. However, state prosecutors are seeking to try Mangione as soon as 1 July. In her ruling, Judge Garnett 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 emphasized that her decision was solely to eliminate the death penalty as a potential punishment in the jury's considerations. Garnett also permitted prosecutors to use evidence from Mangione's seized backpack at the time of his arrest, which contained a ghost gun, fake IDs, and a notebook with writings detailing personal grievances regarding the health care system. Defense attorneys had argued to dismiss this evidence, claiming it was obtained through an illegal search.
Mangione faces nine charges in a separate case from New York state prosecutors, including second-degree murder.
