Judge Bars Death Penalty in High-Profile Killing of Healthcare CEO, Citing Legal Threshold

In a significant pretrial ruling, a federal judge on Friday barred prosecutors from pursuing the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused of the December 2024 shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside his Manhattan office.

U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two capital-eligible federal charges—murder and using a firearm equipped with a silencer—stating the decision "is solely to foreclose the death penalty as an available punishment." Mangione still faces federal stalking charges, which carry a potential life sentence without parole, and separate state murder charges.

The case, fueled by graphic surveillance footage, had become a flashpoint in national debates over healthcare inequity and corporate accountability. Prosecutors alleged Mangione, who pleaded not guilty, targeted Thompson over denied insurance claims.

Judge Garnett's order represents a setback for federal efforts to resume capital punishment under Attorney General Pam Bondi. However, she simultaneously denied a defense motion to suppress key evidence, including a handgun, silencer, and a notebook described as a manifesto, found during Mangione's arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald's.

Jury selection for the federal trial is scheduled for September 8. The state trial date remains unset.

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"This ruling correctly focuses the federal case on the provable stalking offenses," said David Chen, a former federal prosecutor now with the Hartwell Institute. "It streamlines the trial but doesn't diminish the gravity of the state's murder case."

Rebecca Vance, a victims' rights advocate, reacted sharply: "It's a disgrace. This was a calculated, public execution. The federal system had a chance to deliver the ultimate accountability and has now stepped back. It sends a terrible message."

"The legal threshold for a federal death penalty is extremely high," noted Professor Anya Sharma, Columbia Law School. "The judge's ruling is a procedural step, not an acquittal. The core evidence remains admissible, and a life sentence is still very much in play."

Michael Torres, a court observer, added: "You see his supporters here every hearing. This decision will be spun as a victory by the defense, but the road ahead is very long."