Judge rules Luigi Mangione will not receive death penalty if convicted

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting and killing insurance executive Brian Thompson, will not receive the death penalty if convicted. A federal judge ruled today that capital punishment may not be sought in the case, disappointing prosecutors who demanded it.

They'll be happy about Judge Margaret Garnett's evidentiary ruling, though: they can use at trial evidence seized from his backpack, despite accusations of improper handling.

Law enforcement seized several items from Mangione's backpack, including a handgun, a loaded magazine and a red notebook – key pieces of evidence that authorities have said tie him to the killing.

Mangione's attorneys had argued for the evidence to be barred from trial, contending the search of their client's backpack was illegal because they had not yet obtained a warrant and there was no immediate threat to justify a warrantless search.

Mangione now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

Thompson, 50, was shot dead on December 4, 2024, near the midtown hotel where UnitedHealth Group's annual investor conference was taking place. "Delay", "deny" and "depose" were allegedly written on the ammunition used, echoing the strategy used by insurers to avoid paying claims. Mangione was arrested 5 days later at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, 230 miles away.

Despite the horrific nature of the crime, many Americans sympathize with Magnione: UnitedHealth is one of the most despised insurance companies in the U.S., infamous for denying legitimate claims. A typically ice-cold headline: CEO's Slaying Lays Bare The Disdain People Feel About Insurance Industry.

Previously:
• Read Luigi Mangione's birthday gratitude list
• First trailer for new Luigi Mangione propaganda documentary
• New York Times memo tells staff to avoid showing Luigi Mangione's face
• Luigi Mangione shares first public statement since incarceration
• Luigi Mangione's manifesto
• Luigi Mangione planned to kill CEO with bomb, then realized it 'could kill innocents'
• Oh rats! Google snuffs out McDonald's 'review bomb' after Luigi Mangione's arrest