Prosecutors directed to seek death penalty against Luigi Mangione in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 01, 2025 12:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday she has directed national prosecutors to question the decease punishment against Luigi Mangione, the antheral accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson extracurricular a New York City edifice connected Dec. 4 past year.

Mangione, 26, faces abstracted national and authorities execution charges for the killing, which rattled the concern assemblage portion besides galvanizing wellness security critics. The national charges see execution done usage of a firearm, which carries the anticipation of the decease penalty. The authorities charges transportation a maximum punishment of beingness successful prison.

Prosecutors person said the 2 cases volition proceed connected parallel tracks, with the authorities charges expected to spell to proceedings first. It wasn't instantly wide if Bondi's decease punishment announcement volition alteration the bid of however the cases are tried.

"Luigi Mangione's execution of Brian Thompson — an guiltless antheral and begetter of 2 young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America," Bondi said successful a statement.

"After cautious consideration, I person directed national prosecutors to question the decease punishment successful this lawsuit arsenic we transportation retired President Trump's docket to halt convulsive transgression and Make America Safe Again."

A connection seeking remark was near for a spokesperson for Mangione's lawyers.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty

Mangione has pleaded not blameworthy to a authorities indictment and has not entered a plea to the national charges.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who oversaw an unprecedented tally of executions astatine the extremity of his archetypal term, signed an enforcement bid connected his archetypal time backmost successful bureau connected Jan. 20 that compels the Justice Department to question the decease punishment successful national cases wherever applicable.

His predecessor, Joe Biden, had issued a moratorium connected national executions.

WATCH | Mangione pleads not blameworthy successful December:

Thompson, 50, was ambushed and changeable connected a sidewalk arsenic helium walked to an capitalist league astatine a edifice successful midtown Manhattan. 

Mangione was arrested 5 days later on Dec. 9 portion eating meal astatine a McDonald's successful Altoona, Pa.

Police said helium was carrying a weapon that matched the 1 utilized successful the shooting and a fake ID. He besides was carrying a notebook expressing hostility toward the wellness security manufacture and particularly affluent executives, authorities said.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest wellness insurer successful the U.S., though the institution said Mangione was ne'er a client.

Among the entries successful the notebook, prosecutors said, was 1 from August 2024 that said "the people is insurance" due to the fact that "it checks each box" and 1 from October that describes an intent to "wack" an security institution CEO.