A Manhattan federal judge said Friday that Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, will not face the death penalty.
According to NBC News, Margaret Garnett of Federal District Court made the ruling Friday morning as part of ongoing pretrial hearings in the case. Mangione is facing both state and federal charges that include, in part, second-degree murder and stalking.
The judge dismissed a few charges against Mangione, including murder via firearms use and a “related firearms offense.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, prosecutors pushed for the death penalty after authorities arrested Mangione for Thompson’s December 4, 2024, murder.
Magione is accused of shooting Thompson in the back as Thompson headed to the UnitedHealth Group’s yearly conference in Midtown Manhattan.
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On December 9, 2024, police arrested Mangione in Pennsylvania.
According to FOX 2, the defense had requested suppression of evidence after investigators retrieved items from Mangione’s backpack. The defense claimed authorities searched the backpack without obtaining a warrant.
Authorities reportedly found a 9mm “ghost gun” inside the backpack, along with loaded magazines, a 3D-printed silencer, a notebook, and false identification.
The gun matched the same weapon that killed Thompson, investigators said. The notebook allegedly had information on how Mangione planned to “wack” an executive in the healthcare industry, Spectrum News reports.
Garnett ruled Friday that evidence seized in the backpack will be allowed.
“The search was reasonable under the facts of this case,” Garnett stated Friday.
NBC New York reports that opening statements are scheduled to begin in October. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: FILE – Luigi Mangione, accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appears in Manhattan state court in New York, Sept. 16, 2025. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP, file)]
