A federal grand jury in New York has returned an indictment against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024, according to court records.
The four-count indictment returned on April 17 charges Mangione, 26, with two counts of stalking, one count of firearms offense, and one count of murder through the use of a firearm, a charge that could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. He also faces murder and terrorism charges in New York state, as well as gun possession and other charges in Pennsylvania.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty in both state cases, and New York does not have the death penalty for state charges. It was not immediately known when Mangione would be arraigned on the federal charges.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from an affluent Maryland family, is accused of shooting Thompson, 50, on Dec. 4 outside a New York City hotel where the executive planned to attend UnitedHealthcare’s annual investors conference. Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an intensive search that gained international attention.
On April 1, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that she directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Mangione, calling the killing a “cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” She added that her directive checks with President Donald Trump‘s agenda to “stop violent crime.”
While public officials have condemned the killing, U.S. citizens and social media users have shown support for Mangione, saying he drew attention to the nation’s steep healthcare costs and the power of health insurers to refuse payment for some treatments. He is currently being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn.
Defense wants the death penalty off the table
Following Bondi’s announcement, Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo called the decision to seek the death penalty “barbaric.”
On April 11, Mangione’s defense team filed a motion asking a federal judge to block prosecutors, writing that the “government intends to kill Mr. Mangione as a political stunt.”
Mangione’s lawyers also said Bondi’s public request for prosecutors to seek the death penalty unfairly set potential jurors against him. His attorneys said any grand jury should be polled on their exposure to Bondi’s recent statements about the case.
The lawyers cited a television appearance where Bondi said she ordered prosecutors to seek the death penalty because the victim was a CEO.
“Counsel is aware of no provision in the death penalty statute or in the Department of Justice’s death penalty protocol that allows for consideration of the social, economic, or professional status of an alleged homicide victim in determining whether to seek the death penalty,” Mangione’s lawyers said.
Prosecutors have since asked the judge to reject that motion, saying it was premature for Mangione’s lawyers since the government has not presented a grand jury indictment or a formal notice that it intends to seek capital punishment.
“Because this case is not yet indicted, and the Government has not yet filed its notice of intent to seek the death penalty, the defendant’s motion is not yet ripe and should be denied on that basis,” prosecutors wrote in a filing.
How rare are these federal cases? Luigi Mangione could face death penalty in CEO slaying.
Murder case draws widespread attention
The killing of Thompson and the arrest of Mangione have incited both worry among corporate executives and vitriol against the U.S. health care system.
In the wake of Thompson’s death, companies announced they were evaluating security measures, cancelling in-person events, and scrubbing their websites of top executives’ biographies and photographs.
On April 14, police arrested an armed man outside UnitedHealthcare’s headquarters in Minnesota after he made “threats of violence” before eventually surrendering to law enforcement. In February, prosecutors in Florida dropped charges against a woman who allegedly threatened a health insurance provider using the words “Delay, deny, depose,” the same as those on shell casings found near Thompson’s body.
Mangione’s court proceedings have drawn many fans, with some expressing support for his legal battles and even writing him heart-shaped notes. A fund to help pay for Mangione’s legal expenses has received over $900,000.
Contributing: Reuters
