Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, will not face the death penalty if convicted, a court has ruled.
US District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed the federal firearms charges against the 27-year-old that carried the possibility of capital punishment.
He will still face stalking charges, which can bring a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Mangione was arrested days after he allegedly shot Thompson as the health insurance firm CEO walked into a New York City hotel on December 4, 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to all federal and state charges.
After the ruling, Mangione's attorney Karen Agnifilo thanked the court for this incredible decision, according to CBS News. We're all very relieved, she said. We're prepared, and have been prepared, to fight this case, and we look forward to fighting this case.
In her ruling, Garnett, an appointee of former US President Joe Biden, 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 foreclose the death penalty as an available punishment to be considered by the jury.
The ruling poses a setback for the justice department, which labeled Thompson's murder a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination. The judge has permitted the government 30 days to contest her decision.
In a win for prosecutors, Garnett ruled they could present evidence from Mangione's backpack that he had at the time of arrest, which contained a gun, fake IDs, and writings detailing grievances against the US healthcare system.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, faces additional charges from New York state, including second-degree murder. The fatal incident involving Thompson occurred as he approached a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference.
Investigators connected the words deny, defend, and depose found on shell casings at the scene to tactics used by insurance companies to reject patient claims.
Jury selection in the federal trial is scheduled for September 8, followed by opening statements on October 13. However, state prosecutors are pushing for an earlier trial in July.
In a separate incident, a Minnesota man was arrested for impersonating an FBI agent to free Mangione. The suspect is now in the same facility as Mangione.
