A judge ruled on Friday that federal prosecutors cannot pursue the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing. This decision has thwarted the Trump administration’s attempt to have Mangione executed for what they labeled a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed the federal murder charge that allowed prosecutors to seek capital punishment, finding it technically flawed. Consequently, she ruled out the death penalty as an option for the jury to consider while deliberating Mangione’s conviction.
Although Garnett dismissed a gun charge, she upheld stalking charges that could lead to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. To qualify for the death penalty, prosecutors needed to prove that Mangione committed another violent crime while killing Thompson, a criteria not met by the stalking charges, Garnett noted in her ruling.
In a victory for prosecutors, Garnett permitted the use of evidence obtained from Mangione’s backpack during his arrest, including a handgun and a notebook containing plans to harm an insurance executive. Mangione’s defense had objected to the legality of the search, arguing that the police had not obtained a warrant at the time.
The judge’s rulings are subject to potential appeals, and prosecutors have been given 30 days to indicate if they plan to challenge the decision regarding the death penalty. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, handling the federal case, was not immediately available for comment.
Mangione, 27, appeared composed alongside his legal team at a court hearing following Garnett’s ruling, signaling readiness for trial. However, his lawyers did not address the judge’s decision during the hearing.
Jury selection for the federal trial is set to commence on Sept. 8, with opening statements and testimonies scheduled to begin on Oct. 13. The trial date for the state case is pending, with the Manhattan district attorney’s office urging for a July 1 trial date in a recent letter.
Brian Thompson, aged 50, was fatally shot on Dec. 4, 2024, while on his way to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual conference. The assailant, captured on surveillance footage, shot Thompson from behind, with ammunition inscribed with the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose,” echoing practices in the insurance industry.
Mangione, a graduate of an Ivy League institution and scion of a wealthy Maryland family, was apprehended five days post the incident at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, approximately 230 miles west of Manhattan.
This legal battle unfolded following a directive by Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the death penalty against Mangione, aligning with former President Trump’s stance on capital punishment. The decision marked the Justice Department’s first pursuit of the death penalty in Trump’s second term, as he had pledged to reinstate federal executions following the hiatus during President Biden’s tenure.