NEW YORK (AP) Luigi Mangione has been indicted on a federal murder charge related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. This indictment is part of the Trump administration's initiative to seek the death penalty for what has been described as a "premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America." The federal grand jury in Manhattan returned the indictment, which includes a murder charge through the use of a firearm, carrying the potential for capital punishment. Additionally, Mangione faces charges of stalking and gun offenses.
Mangione's defense team argues that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's announcement this month, directing prosecutors to pursue the death penalty, was a "political stunt." They claim it undermined the grand jury process and violated Mangione's constitutional right to due process. The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, connected to a notable Maryland real estate family, faces multiple murder charges both federally and at the state level. Authorities allege he shot Brian Thompson, aged 50, outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4, shortly before Thompson was to attend UnitedHealthcare's annual investor conference.
Surveillance footage captured a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind. Disturbingly, police reported that words like "delay," "deny," and "depone" were inscribed on the ammunition, echoing familiar phrases used to characterize how insurers evade payment of claims. The brutal nature of Thompson's killing, coupled with a five-day manhunt for Mangione, sent shockwaves throughout the business community, prompting some health insurance firms to remove executive images from their websites and pivot to online shareholder meetings. Meanwhile, critics of health insurance rallied around Mangione, viewing him as a figure symbolizing widespread anger over coverage denials and exorbitant medical bills.
The indictment of Mangione was issued just before the deadline for prosecutors to either file or request further delay in the case. Details about when Mangione will face arraignment in federal court remain unclear. On April 1, Bondi announced her directive for the death penalty, marking the first case where the Justice Department pursued capital punishment since President Donald Trump's return to office on January 20, after a hiatus under the previous administration.
In Bondi’s comments, she referred to Thompson's murder as "an act of political violence." Mangione's attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, contested Bondi’s announcement, asserting that it represented a governmental push to execute Mangione as part of a political maneuver. She seeks to block any attempts to pursue the death penalty against him.
The attorneys representing Mangione contend that Bondi's public declaration — accompanied by posts to her social media accounts and an appearance on television — breached established Justice Department protocols and "indelibly prejudiced" the grand jury that ultimately led to the indictment. Currently, Mangione remains incarcerated at a federal jail in Brooklyn, facing state charges that could lead to a life sentence. Prosecutors have indicated that the state and federal cases against him will proceed simultaneously, with the state trial likely occurring first, though it remains unclear if the recent federal indictment will alter this timeline.
Mangione was apprehended on December 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, located roughly 230 miles west of New York City. Following his arrest, he was transported to Manhattan via airplane and helicopter. Law enforcement officials noted that Mangione possessed a 9mm handgun consistent with the one used in Thompson's murder, along with other items, including a notebook indicating hostility towards the health insurance industry and its affluent leaders.
Among the journal entries, prosecutors highlighted one from August 2024 stating, "the target is insurance" because "it checks every box," and another from October expressing an intent to "wack" an insurance company CEO. Notably, UnitedHealthcare has clarified that Mangione was never a client. Agnifilo has expressed intentions to suppress certain pieces of evidence in the ongoing legal proceedings.
