A federal district judge just delivered a massive legal victory to Luigi Mangione, ruling that he will not face the death penalty for the alleged killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as reported by CNN. This decision is a huge blow to US prosecutors, who were absolutely committed to pursuing the ultimate sentence against the 27-year-old.
Federal Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed the crucial murder charge that would have made Mangione eligible for the death penalty in the federal case. The judge’s reasoning hinged on the requirement that the murder had to be committed during another “crime of violence.” Prosecutors argued the underlying crimes of violence were two stalking charges, since Mangione allegedly stalked Thompson online and traveled across state lines to carry out the attack. Judge Garnett sharply disagreed.
She found that the stalking charges didn’t meet the definition of a “crime of violence” required by law. Because of this technicality, she dismissed both the murder charge and a related firearm offense. She wrote that the analysis “may strike the average person, and indeed many lawyers and judges, as tortured and strange, and the result may seem contrary to our intuitions about the criminal law.” She noted, however, that the ruling represents the court’s effort to “faithfully apply the dictates of the Supreme Court.”
Judge Garnett even acknowledged the strangeness of the ruling herself
It’s no wonder Mangione’s many supporters, who view him as an avatar for their resentment toward the American health care system, are galvanized by the news. However, this doesn’t mean Mangione is walking free. While the death penalty is off the table, he still faces serious consequences. He will still be tried on two counts of stalking in the federal case, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole if he’s convicted.
Furthermore, he faces a separate second-degree murder charge and other counts in New York state. Since the death penalty is unconstitutional in New York, the highest conviction there would likely result in a sentence of 25 years to life. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
This ruling directly contradicts the strong stance taken by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who directed the Justice Department to pursue the death penalty back in April 2025. She called the killing “a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” Now, the federal prosecutors have a decision to make. An assistant US attorney indicated in court that he didn’t know whether the Justice Department would appeal the ruling while having to sift through 2 million pages of Epstein files.
In related news, Judge Garnett ruled to allow key evidence recovered from Mangione’s backpack at the time of his arrest to be used at trial. Law enforcement seized a handgun, a loaded magazine, and a red notebook from the bag. Federal authorities claim the recovered gun matches the firearm used in the killing. Crucially, they noted that handwritten entries in the notebook “express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular.”
Mangione’s attorneys tried to bar this evidence, arguing the search was illegal since officials hadn’t obtained a warrant yet. Prosecutors countered that they had the right to search the possessions as part of routine arrest procedures for safety reasons, and that the evidence would have inevitably been discovered legally anyway. I’m glad the evidence is in; it sounds like it’s essential to establishing motive.
Jury selection for the federal trial is currently scheduled to begin on September 8, with opening statements kicking off on October 13.
Published: Jan 30, 2026 02:00 pm