US judge rules Luigi Mangione won’t face death penalty in CEO killing case 

A New York judge has dismissed murder and weapons charges against Luigi Mangione, meaning that prosecutors can no longer seek the death penalty in the case accusing him of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

While district judge Margaret Garnett dismissed the charges punishable by death in her ruling on Friday, the 27-year-old still faces two counts of stalking in his federal case that could lead to a maximum punishment of life in prison, as well as state-level murder charges carrying the same penalty.

Mangione, the Ivy League-educated scion of a wealthy Maryland family, previously pleaded not guilty to federal murder, weapons and stalking charges for allegedly gunning down Thompson in December 2024.

Garnett’s decision foils the bid of US President Donald Trump’s administration to see him executed for what it called a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America”. The judge is an appointee of former President Joe Biden.

Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a midtown Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind, with police saying that “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Jury selection in the federal case is scheduled to begin on September 8.

The state trial hasn’t been scheduled yet, but Mangione had already entered separate not guilty pleas for murder, weapons and forgery charges in Manhattan state court.

This week, the Manhattan district attorney’s office sent a letter urging the judge in that case to set a July 1 trial date.

Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors last April to seek the death penalty against Mangione, following through on Trump’s pledge to pursue capital punishment.

Trump returned to office a year ago with a pledge to resume federal executions after they were halted under Biden.