Crime
Luigi Mangione, Accused of Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO, Won’t Face the Death Penalty
Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty, a federal judge ruled on Friday, January 30.
The 27-year-old pleaded not guilty to all charges related to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024.
Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two charges — murder through use of a firearm and a second firearms offense — that would have made him eligible for the death penalty because they are incompatible with his stalking charges, CNN reported.
If convicted, he could still be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
She also refused to suppress evidence from the backpack Mangione was carrying when he was arrested at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s on December 9, 2024, which his lawyers argued was illegally searched, per CNN.
Items inside include the alleged murder weapon and a document that authorities described as a “manifesto.”
Mangione, who is currently behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, will stand trial in the federal case in October, with jury selection beginning on September 8.
He also faces state charges, and earlier this week, the Manhattan district attorney asked a judge for that trial to begin on July 1. If convicted in that case, he faces life in prison without parole.
