Luigi Mangione heads to federal court as DOJ debuts death penalty 'shift': ex-federal prosecutor
Luigi Mangione will appear in federal court on Friday afternoon to be arraigned on federal charges as the Department of Justice has indicated it will seek the death penalty after he allegedly assassinated UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The Department of Justice obtained an indictment against Mangione in the Southern District of New York. Mangione was charged with stalking and murdering Thompson as well as using electronic communications, interstate travel and a firearm when he allegedly killed the healthcare insurance CEO on Dec. 4, 2024.
If the 26-year-old is convicted of murder through the use of a firearm, Mangione could face the death penalty, as federal prosecutors have indicated in court filings.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital that the Department of Justice's openness to using the death penalty indicates a stark difference from the Biden administration.
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"Two recent federal prosecutions after the state were Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd and [Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael] and [William "Roddie" Bryan] for the death of Ahmaud Arbery, both of which raise civil rights issues," Rahmani said. "But we're seeing a clear shift in the DOJ where the Department of Justice is going to prosecute death penalty cases in blue states that either have a moratorium or a ban or have outright repealed the death penalty.
"So this is all political on both sides, but I do believe we're seeing a shift in DOJ policy here," he added.
When former President Biden took office in 2021, his administration ordered a moratorium on federal executions in cases that don't involve terrorism or mass murders that were hate-motivated. Before leaving office, Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 out of 40 inmates to life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Dylann Roof, who was convicted of killing nine people at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Carleston, South Carolina, didn't receive a commutation from Biden. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was convicted for his role in the Boston Marathon bombing, also didn't receive a commutation from Biden.
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In December, then-President-elect Donald Trump indicated he would direct the Department of Justice to restart its use of the death penalty for criminals who are among the most violent.
"As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers and monsters," Trump said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in an April 1 Instagram post that her Department of Justice would be seeking the death penalty.
"Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson – an innocent man and father of two young children – was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. 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," Bondi said.
Mangione's lawyers took issue with Bondi's announcement, alleging that the government violated their client's due process rights by commenting on a pending criminal case outside of court. His lawyers are attempting to preclude the death penalty from being used in the federal case.
Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, was in New York City for a publicly announced shareholder conference. An earlier federal complaint alleges that Mangione traveled by bus from Atlanta to New York City and arrived at the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan on Nov. 24, 2024.
Mangione allegedly checked into a hostel under a fake New Jersey license under the name "Mark Rosario." Prior to allegedly shooting Thompson, the University of Pennsylvania graduate was seen riding an electric bicycle to a spot near the New York Hilton Midtown hotel.
He was arrested at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania, and prosecutors recovered a notebook full of writings which they say depicted a calculated assassination attempt, in addition to a "ghost gun."
Mangione also faces charges in New York and Pennsylvania in addition to the federal charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.