A federal judge has decided to throw out the death penalty-eligible murder and weapons charges against Luigi Mangione, who was accused of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The judge concluded that these charges did not meet the criteria of crimes of violence, thereby removing the possibility of the death penalty. However, Mangione still faces federal stalking charges, with his trial anticipated to commence in October 2026 following jury selection in September.

Efforts are also underway to pursue state murder charges against Mangione.

In a bizarre turn of events related to the case, a man from Minnesota was arrested for attempting to free Mangione from custody. Identified as Mark Anderson, he allegedly impersonated an FBI agent at a New York federal jail, claiming he possessed a court order for Mangione’s release.

Anderson reportedly declared he was armed, and upon inspection, authorities found a barbecue fork and a circular steel blade similar to a pizza cutter inside his bag.

[Feature Photo: Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court for an evidence hearing, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in New York. (Shannon Stapleton/Pool Photo via AP)]