Trump administration seeks death penalty for alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione

Washington: Federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty for accused healthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione following a directive from US Attorney-General Pam Bondi.

Mangione, 26, faces state and federal charges over the alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, who was shot on a Manhattan street in December last year.

Attorney-General Pam Bondi has ordered prosecutors to seek the death penalty for accused killer Luigi Mangione.Credit: Bloomberg

New York has prohibited capital punishment for decades under state law, but it can be sought by prosecutors on the federal charge of murder using a firearm.

Bondi, who pledged to revive the use of the death penalty for federal crimes when she took office in February, has now ordered federal prosecutors to pursue that punishment.

“Luigi Mangione’s [alleged] murder of Brian Thompson – an innocent man and father of two young children – was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” she said 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.”

Luigi Mangione supporters hold signs outside New York Supreme Court in February.Credit: Bloomberg

The Department of Justice said Mangione’s alleged actions constituted an act of political violence and involved substantial planning and premeditation. They also risked death to other people because the shooting took place in public with bystanders in the vicinity.

Mangione has also been charged with murder under state law, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges, and has not yet entered a plea on the federal charges. He is due back in court on April 18.

The brazen daylight shooting made headlines around the world. Mangione elicited significant sympathy and support from Americans exasperated with the country’s healthcare system, in which insurers routinely deny or frustrate claims, and about 25 million Americans don’t have health insurance.

The accused killer became something of a pin-up model for his classic good looks and has been showered with letters and gifts in prison, including heart-shaped love letters. Supporters flocked to his most recent court appearance in February, carrying signs such as “free Luigi” and “healthcare reform now”.

UnitedHealthcare is one of the country’s largest insurers, if not the largest. It made $US16 billion ($25.5 billion) in operating profits in 2023 and faced many complaints about denied or delayed payouts. Mangione was not a client, the company has said.

Bondi, a former attorney-general of Florida picked by Trump to run the Department of Justice, pledged to revive federal executions after the Biden administration’s moratorium, which she called a “shameful era”.

“Going forward, the Department of Justice will once again act as the law demands – including by seeking death sentences in appropriate cases and swiftly implementing those sentences in accordance with the law,” she said on her first day on the job in a memo.

“The American people, through their elected representatives, have repeatedly reaffirmed the effectiveness of capital punishment in deterring crime, achieving justice for victims, and closure for their loved ones.”

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