US government to seek death penalty against accused assassin Luigi Mangione
The US government will seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of brazenly killing a health insurance CEO in broad daylight.
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The US government will seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione for his alleged cold-blooded killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan.
“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,” US Attorney-General Pam Bondi wrote in a statement.
“After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President (Donald) Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
The 26-year-old University of Pennsylvania grad allegedly used a 3D-printed ghost gun equipped with a homemade silencer to execute Mr Thompson outside a Midtown Hilton hotel where UnitedHealthcare’s parent company was holding its annual investor conference, prosecutors say.
The alleged assassin had been plotting the attack for months and wrote in his notebook about plans to “wack” the head of a medical insurance company, alongside angry tirades against the industry, court papers allege.
Mangione, who hails from a prominent Maryland family, allegedly had the notebook on him when Pennsylvania cops arrested him at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania five days after the shocking slaying. Prosecutors have also revealed that he was carrying duct tape and zip ties in his backpack at the time.
The accused killer is charged with the brazen murder in separate cases brought by prosecutors in both Manhattan federal and state court.
The state case is currently farther along, with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office having secured an indictment from a grand jury.
New York state prosecutors have not been able to seek capital punishment since the practice was outlawed in 2004, but Mangione faces life in prison if convicted in state court of an upgraded murder as an act of terrorism charge.
It was not immediately clear how or if Ms Bondi’s decision would impact whether Mangione will go on trial in federal or state court first.
A federal jury would be required to sign off on the government’s push for the death penalty in order for Mangione to be executed.
Law enforcement sources have told The New York Post federal authorities had been lobbied by the insurance industry to bring a case against Mangione, and that they were considering asking for the death penalty.
Since his arrest, Mangione has garnered a cult-like following of supporters who have decried what they’ve called America’s corrupt healthcare system.
Fans of the accused murderer, mostly young women, has packed the gallery at his court appearances. One secret admirer even snuck a heart-shaped note to him in a pair of socks he was allowed to bring to his latest circus-like court hearing — but Mangione refused to wear the footwear because he did not find them fashionable, according to a recent legal filing.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His legal team did not have an immediate comment on Ms Bondi’s announcement.
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission
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Originally published as US government to seek death penalty against accused assassin Luigi Mangione
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