Listen to this article with a free account
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have refused to appeal a judge’s ruling that barred them from seeking justice. death sentence against Luigi Mangione during the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
In a letter, the government said it would not conduct “interlocutory review” of the U.S. District order. Judge Margaret M. Garnett, who asked prosecutors to determine by Friday whether they would appeal her decision.
Mangione’s legal team declined to comment Friday on the government’s update.
Last month, Garnett dismissed two of four federal charges against Mangione, 27, which include murder by use of a firearm and a firearms offense. This murder charge carries a potential death sentence.
Mangione still faces two counts of interstate stalking, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
He has pleaded not guilty to the accusations.
In his ruling, Garnett determined that the murder charge was technically flawed, saying the underlying stalking offense did not qualify as a “crime of violence.”
To seek the death penalty, prosecutors had to show that Mangione killed Thompson, 50, while committing another “crime of violence.”
Mangione’s attorney, Karen Agnifilo, applauded the decision, calling it “an incredible decision” and “we are all very relieved.”
“We want to thank everyone who came out and stood in the cold, and those who can’t come here, all the supporters,” Agnifilo said.
In April, Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered prosecutors to pursue the death penalty, saying “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson – an innocent man and father of two young children – was a premeditated, cold-blooded murder that shocked America.” »
Mangione is accused of murdering Thompson on December 4, 2024, in midtown Manhattan, as the executive was heading to a UnitedHealth group investor conference. The shooting sparked a five-day nationwide manhunt that ended when Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
He is expected to stand his federal trial this fall, with jury selection in September.
He also faces nine counts, including second-degree murder and various weapons charges, in a separate case brought by New York state prosecutors. This case is scheduled to begin on June 8.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all federal and state charges.
