Luigi Mangione’s legal team is working to get the charges dismissed that might lead to the death penalty if he is found guilty of murdering the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
His attorneys claim that Manhattan prosecutors should not be allowed to use Mangione’s statements or the contents of his backpack, which included a gun, as evidence. This is because he was allegedly not informed of his rights.
Furthermore, they argue that the police conducted a search of the backpack without a warrant, infringing on the rights of the 27-year-old, according to documents filed in Manhattan federal court on Saturday.
Mangione is accused of murdering Brian Thompson outside of a Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024.
The Ivy League graduate has pleaded not guilty to the state and federal charges against him.
In September, the terrorism charge was dropped, to the delight of his fans.
Judge Gregory Carro noted that the evidence presented was ‘legally insufficient’ for the charges of first-degree murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism.
The decision is a huge legal win for Mangione and comes after his lawyers claimed prosecutors were rushing to bring the case against him.
Luigi Mangione’s legal efforts are centered on dismissing the charge that could result in the death penalty if he is convicted of murdering the UnitedHealthcare CEO.
Mangione is accused of murdering Brian Thompson outside of a Manhattan hotel
He still faces one count of murder in the second degree, which is now his most serious charge.
In addition, Mangione faces charges for two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and one count of second-degree possession of a forged instrument.
The killing set off a multi-state search after he slipped away from the scene, rode a bike to Central Park, then took a taxi to a bus depot that offered service to several states.
Five days later, a tip from a McDonald’s about 233 miles away in Altoona, Pennsylvania, led police to arrest Mangione. He has been held without bail since then.
Last month, lawyers for Mangione asked that his federal charges be dismissed and the death penalty be taken off the table as a result of public comments by US Attorney General Pam Bondi.
In April, Bondi directed prosecutors in New York to seek the death penalty, calling the killing of Thompson a ‘premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.’
Murder cases are usually tried in state courts, but prosecutors have also charged Mangione under a federal law on murders committed with firearms as part of other ‘crimes of violence.’
It’s the only charge for which Mangione could face the death penalty, since it’s not used in New York state.
The Ivy League graduate has pleaded not guilty to the state and federal charges against him (pictured: the suspected gunman outside the hotel)
In September, the terrorism charge was dropped, to the delight of the young man’s fans (pictured: the scene outside the hotel after the shooting)
The papers filed early Saturday morning argued that this charge should be dismissed because prosecutors have failed to identify the other offenses that would be required to convict him, saying that the alleged other crime – stalking – is not a crime of violence.
The assassination and its aftermath has captured the American imagination, setting off a cascade of resentment and online vitriol toward US health insurers while rattling corporate executives concerned about security.
After the killing, investigators found the words ‘delay,’ ‘deny’ and ‘depose,’ written in permanent marker on ammunition at the scene. The words mimic a phrase used by insurance industry critics.
In July, Mangione sent his fans into a tizzy as a new photo of him smiling inside jail went viral.
The image of the 27-year-old shows him crouching down and smiling while in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York.
He is wearing a white T-shirt, gray sweatpants, and a simple digital watch.
Mangione threw up a shaka sign with his left hand in the picture, which is popular in Hawaii where he is known to have spent at least half a year living in 2022.
