Prosecutors Drop Death Penalty Bid for Mangione

Luigi Mangione will no longer face the possibility of execution in federal court in connection with the 2024 killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan told a judge Friday that they will not challenge a ruling that barred them from seeking the death penalty. The decision means they will not pursue an interlocutory appeal of U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett’s order.

Last month, Garnett dismissed two of the four federal charges against the 27-year-old Mangione, including a murder count that could have carried a death sentence. She determined that the underlying stalking allegation did not meet the legal definition of a “crime of violence,” which was necessary to support the more serious charge. Prosecutors had been given until Friday to appeal that decision but chose not to do so.

Mangione still faces two federal counts of interstate stalking, each of which carries a potential sentence of life in prison without parole. He has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Karen Agnifilo, praised Garnett’s ruling and thanked supporters gathered outside the courthouse.

The Justice Department’s position marks a shift from earlier guidance by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had directed prosecutors to pursue capital punishment, describing Thompson’s killing as a “premeditated assassination.”

Thompson, 50, was shot in Midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024, while on his way to an investor conference. The shooting led to a five-day manhunt that ended with Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.

A federal trial is scheduled for this fall. Separately, Mangione is set to stand trial in New York state court beginning June 8, where he faces nine counts, including second-degree murder.

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