Luigi Mangione was formally indicted by a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Thursday for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The indictment includes charges of murder using a firearm, stalking, and a gun-related offence.
Mangione may receive the death penalty if found guilty, a finding that comes in response to a ruling from US attorney common Pam Bondi. The justice department filed a request for the death penalty for the first time since Donald Trump’s resignation on January 20th, as promised in his bid to restart national deaths that had been postponed under the Biden administration.
Just before a seminar for investors, Thompson, a 50-year-old, was fatally shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024. A concealed shooter was seen firing from behind on surveillance video. Later, authorities identified Mangione, a Maryland Ivy League grad from Maryland, as the think. They claimed that the weapons found on the field had the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” written on it, which was frequently connected to censure of the healthcare industry.
Five days later, Mangione’s incarceration in Altoona, Pennsylvania, attracted significant media attention. Authorities say he had a computer and a 9mm handgun in his possession that prosecutors claim contained anti-insurance views and specific threats against executives. UnitedHealthcare has confirmed that Mangione wasn’t one of their customers.
His defense team, led by Karen Friedman Agnifilo, has accused the state of politicizing the event. They contend that Bondi’s common support for the death penalty, including his on-screen performances and social media posts, has tarnished the court system and hurt the grand jury.