Judge Tosses Terrorism Charges Against Luigi Mangione, Murder Count Stands
A judge dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in New York state's case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but he kept the state's second-degree murder charges against him.
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New York:
On Tuesday, a judge dismissed terrorism charges in the New York state case against Luigi Mangione for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, while maintaining the second-degree murder charges against him.
Judge Gregory Carro explained in his written decision that despite the killing clearly being outside the realm of ordinary street crime, New York law doesn't classify an act as terrorism simply because it was ideologically motivated.
"While the defendant was clearly expressing animosity toward UHC and the healthcare industry generally, it doesn't necessarily mean his goal was to 'intimidate and coerce a civilian population,' and indeed, no evidence of such a goal was presented," Carro wrote.
Prosecutors responded with a statement saying, "We respect the Court's decision and will proceed on the remaining nine counts."
The judge set pretrial hearings for December 1, just days before Mangione's next scheduled appearance in his federal case.
This marked Mangione's first state court appearance since February. The 27-year-old Ivy League graduate appeared in beige prison attire with handcuffs and shackles. He has developed a cult following among those frustrated with the health insurance industry. Three rows of supporters attended the hearing, with dozens more, predominantly women, gathered outside. Some wore green clothing – matching the color of the video game character Luigi – as a symbol of solidarity, with one supporter donning a "FREE LUIGI" T-shirt.
Outside the courthouse, supporters across the street cheered upon hearing the terrorism charges had been dropped.
Mangione had previously pleaded not guilty to multiple murder counts, including murder as an act of terrorism, for the December 4, 2024 killing. Surveillance footage captured a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind as he arrived at an investor conference at the New York Hilton Midtown. Police reported finding the words "delay," "deny," and "depose" written on ammunition, echoing a phrase commonly used to describe insurance companies' tactics for avoiding claim payments.
Authorities arrested Mangione five days after the shooting at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, approximately 230 miles (370 kilometers) west of New York City. Since his arrest, he has been detained in the same Brooklyn federal facility housing Sean "Diddy" Combs.
Mangione's legal team argued that the parallel New York case and federal death penalty prosecution constituted double jeopardy. Judge Carro rejected this claim, stating it was premature to make such a determination.
The Manhattan district attorney's office maintained there are no double jeopardy issues since neither case has gone to trial and because the state and federal prosecutions involve different legal theories.
Defense lawyers contend that the dual cases have created a "legal quagmire" making it "legally and logistically impossible to defend against them simultaneously."
The second-degree murder charge carries a potential sentence of 15 years to life in prison, with possible parole after 25 years. The federal charges, which allege Mangione stalked Thompson, do not include terrorism allegations.
In April, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that federal prosecutors would seek the death penalty for what she described as "an act of political violence" and a "premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America."
The Manhattan district attorney's office extensively cited Mangione's handwritten diary in a court filing supporting the state murder charges. They highlighted his expressed desire to kill an insurance executive and his admiration for Ted Kaczynski, the late terrorist known as the Unabomber.
Prosecutors noted that in his writings, Mangione contemplated rebellion against "the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel" and stated that killing an industry executive "conveys a greedy bastard that had it coming." They also referenced a confession allegedly written "To the feds," in which he stated "it had to be done."
According to prosecutors in their June filing, Mangione's "intentions were obvious from his acts, but his writings serve to make those intentions explicit." The writings, which they sometimes described as a manifesto, "convey one clear message: that the murder of Brian Thompson was intended to bring about revolutionary change to the healthcare industry."