Judge Throws Out Half of the Federal Charges Against Luigi Mangione, Taking Death Penalty Off the Table

Prosecutors will not be able to seek the death penalty for accused killer Luigi Mangione, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Mangione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024.

Thompson, 50, was gunned down — shot in the back — outside a Manhattan hotel as he was heading to an early morning meeting.

U.S. District Court Judge Margaret M. Garnett dismissed two counts against Mangione: murder through use of a firearm, which carries a potential death sentence, and a related firearms offense, according to NBC News.

Mangione will only face two federal stalking counts, which can have a maximum sentence of life without parole.

Mangione also faces state murder charges, but New York state does not have the death penalty.

Garnett said