Federal prosecutors can’t seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a judge ruled Friday. The Trump administration wanted Luigi executed, calling the fatal shooting a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” For Mangione, it’s a court win his legal team advocated for in October.
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Judge Shuts Down Death Penalty With New Ruling
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed a federal murder charge that had enabled prosecutors to seek capital punishment. In a written ruling, Garnett found the charge was technically flawed. She wrote that she did so to “foreclose the death penalty as an available punishment to be considered by the jury,” as it weighs whether to convict Mangione. Her decision comes after hearing oral arguments earlier this month.
Judge Garnett left in place stalking charges that carry a maximum punishment of life in prison. In order to seek the death penalty, prosecutors needed to show that Mangione killed Thompson while committing another “crime of violence.” Stalking doesn’t fit that definition, Garnett wrote in her opinion, citing case law and legal precedents. Also, she dismissed a gun charge against Luigi Mangione.
Luigi appeared in court for a previously scheduled conference in the case shortly after the judge issued her ruling. His lawyers didn’t immediately comment on the decision. However, they could do so during the conference or afterward.
Prosecutors Catch A Win In Court
In a win for prosecutors, Judge Garnett ruled that prosecutors can use evidence collected from his backpack during his arrest. That evidence includes a 9 mm handgun and a notebook. Inside that book, authorities say, Luigi Mangione described his intent to “wack” an insurance executive.
Mangione’s lawyers wanted to exclude those items. They argued the search was illegal because police hadn’t yet obtained a warrant. Ultimately, the judge is allowing the evidence. As stated, her rulings could be subject to appeal.
What’s Next For Luigi Mangione?
Judge Garnett gave prosecutors 30 days to inform her of any plans to appeal her death penalty decision. Additionally, Garnett acknowledged confusion her death penalty decision may cause.
She wrote, it “may strike the average person — and indeed many lawyers and judges — as tortured and strange, and the result may seem contrary to our intuitions about the criminal law.” But, she said, it reflected her “committed effort to faithfully apply the dictates of the Supreme Court to the charges in this case. The law must the Court’s only concern.”
Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to federal and state charges. His state murder charges also carry the possibility of life in prison. Jury selection in the federal case is scheduled to begin Sept. 8. Opening statements and testimony are set to start on Oct. 13. The state trial’s date hasn’t been set yet. On Wednesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office sent a letter urging the judge in that case to schedule a July 1 trial date.
What Did Luigi Mangione Allegedly Do?
Luigi Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, killed 50-year-old Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. At the time, the UnitedHealthcare CEO was walking 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. The words mimic a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims. Luigi Mangione was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles west of Manhattan.
Trump’s campaign promised to vigorously pursue capital punishment. Attorney General Pam Bondi followed through, ordering 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.
