Luigi Mangione will face death penalty if he’s found guilty of CEO murder as AG blasts ‘cold-blooded assassination’
ALLEGED assassin Luigi Mangione could be put to death if he’s found guilty of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione, 26, faces four federal charges over the shooting death of Thompson on December 4, 2024.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Tuesday that she directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Mangione’s alleged “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”
In a statement, Bondi offered sympathy for Thompson, whom she called “an innocent man and father of two young children.”
“After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again,” she said.
Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, has been charged with murder through the use of a firearm, two stalking charges, and a firearms offense.
“The murder was an act of political violence,” Bondi said in her statement.
“Mangione’s actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons.”
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s attorney, said the Department of Justice’s decision to seek the death penalty is politically movemented.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s attorney, called the Department of Justice’s decision a political stunt to defend the “murderous healthcare industry.”
“By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric,” Agnifilo said in a statement.
“Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent.
“While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi.
“By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people.”
Agnifilo said her defense team is prepared to fight the federal charges, as well as the New York and Pennsylvania state crimes, against Mangione.
“This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship” she added.
“Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young man’s life.”
ASSASSINATION IN MIDTOWN
On the morning of December 4, Thompson was shot to death outside of a Manhattan hotel while attending a company conference.
His killer escaped the scene, prompting a five-day manhunt that ended when Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
Magnione was charged with murder on December 9 and slapped with federal murder charges on December 19.
Bondi directed Acting US Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in the case, but he could refuse her orders.
On President Donald Trump’s first day in office on January 20, he signed an executive order demanding the Justice Department seek out the death penalty in federal cases when it’s applicable.
It comes after former President Joe Biden issued a moratorium on federal executions.
Timeline of Brian Thompson's murder
BRIAN Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot to death in Manhattan in an execution-like killing.
Here is everything we know about Thompson’s murder so far.
Monday, December 2 – Thompson travels from his home in Minnesota to New York City for an investor conference in Midtown Manhattan.
Wednesday, December 4, 6:45 am – Thompson walks from his hotel across the street to the New York Hilton Midtown and is murdered by a masked shooter. The execution was caught on surveillance, and the suspect was seen biking away toward Central Park. Cops spark a citywide search for the assassin.
11:30 am – Cops released disturbing images of the execution, offered a reward for information, and made a desperate plea for New Yorkers to keep their eyes out.
12:00 pm – Thompson’s estranged wife Paulette revealed her husband had been threatened before he was shot.
2:45 pm – Cops released more eerie images of the suspect ordering at Starbucks that partially revealed his face. The U.S. Sun confirmed the coffee shop was just two blocks away from the shooting, but it’s unclear when he stopped by.
December 5, 6 am – Reports claim the words “deny,” “dispose,” and “defend” were engraved on live rounds and shell casings left behind by the assassin. These words echo the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which is about the failings of the healthcare industry. The author of the book had no comment on the reports.
8 am– Cops raid a hostel in the Upper West Side of New York City where the suspect is said to have stayed. It’s believed he wore a mask for most of the time he was there.
11 am – A person of interest in Thompson’s murder is pictured. He’s wearing a hood in the photo, but his full face could be seen breaking into a beaming grin. Still, no arrests have been made in the investigation.
Afternoon – Law enforcement confirms the suspect arrived in New York City on a Greyhound bus on November 24. It’s also confirmed that the suspect dropped a burner cell phone near the scene of the shooting.
December 6, 3 pm – Police announce they believe the killer has left New York City via interstate bus. They release more surveillance footage that shows him taking a taxi to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.
December 9 – Luigi Mangione, 26, is arrested as a “strong person of interest” at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was carrying a three-page manifesto, fake IDs, and a gun similar to the one used in Thompson’s murder.
FEDERAL AND STATE CHARGES
Mangione’s next federal court hearing is scheduled for April 18.
In addition to his federal charges, he also faces state criminal charges.
While Mangione hasn’t entered a plea to the federal charges, he pleaded not guilty to a state indictment.
The state charges carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.
In New York, Mangione faces 11 charges, including first-degree murder and murder as a terrorist crime.
In Pennsylvania, he faces fraud and forgery charges as well as firearm offenses.
Mangione’s lawyers are fighting the Pennsylvania charges as they insist cops got his DNA illegally by offering him a snack after his arrest.
In 36 pages of documents, his Pennsylvania defense attorney argued cops confronted Mangione “based on a hunch.”
His team also claimed cops illegally took Mangione’s bag and the notebook containing his alleged manifesto.
Who is Luigi Mangione?
LUIGI Mangione, 26, was regarded as a beloved, clever and wealthy man by his family, friends and all who knew him.
He was born and raised in Maryland and graduated as the valedictorian from the private all-boys Gilman School in Baltimore.
He had no prior criminal history and was said to have been a model student, soccer player, and all-around athlete at high school.
One former student from the Gilman School told The U.S. Sun that Mangione was “popular” and had a “big circle of friends.”
“We went to the same school but didn’t really have the same friends. I’m really shocked by this whole thing,” the former student, who asked not to be identified, said.
“I think he played soccer, it was an all-boys school, so being a good athlete got you social currency for sure.”
Mangione graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied computer and information science, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He also got his masters from the Ivy League school.
Mangione was reportedly a data engineer at a car company in California before moving to Hawaii.
His cousin is also Republican Maryland State Delegate Nino Mangione.