A federal judge has ruled that Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty in the federal case stemming from the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
On Jan. 30, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two of the four federal counts against Mangione, including a murder charge that would have made him eligible for capital punishment. Judge Garnett found the charge was technically flawed because it required an underlying “crime of violence,” and she ruled that the government’s stalking allegation did not meet that legal standard under Supreme Court precedent. Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty in April.
The remaining stalking-related charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to both federal and state murder charges.
In a win for prosecutors, Judge Garnett denied the defense’s motion to suppress evidence seized from Mangione’s backpack during his December 2024 arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa. Authorities said the backpack contained a handgun and a notebook describing his intent to target an insurance executive.
Jury selection in the federal case remains scheduled for September. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has requested a July 1 start date for the state trial, where Mangione faces nine counts, including second-degree murder and other weapons charges. He has pleaded not guilty in the state case as well.
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