A judge dismissed terrorism-related charges brought against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown last year. The charges, filed in Manhattan, included murder in the first degree in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism.
Justice Gregory Carro ruled that the state’s terrorism statutes did not apply. He stated prosecutors failed to show that Mangione intended to intimidate or coerce the public. The decision leaves a second-degree murder charge on the table, but Mangione no longer faces the possibility of life without parole.
Carro was originally appointed as a judge in 1997 by then Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He has built a reputation as being tough on crime.
27-year-old Mangione has pleaded not guilty in both state and federal cases stemming from the December 4, 2024 killing of Brian Thompson. Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, alleging the killing was a premeditated assassination motivated by political animus and radicalism toward the health care industry.
Authorities say Thompson was shot from behind as he arrived for a conference at the New York Hilton in Midtown. Ammunition at the scene was marked with terminology deemed critical of the health care industry. Cartridges were marked with the terms “Delay,” “Deny” and “Depose,” which prosecutors argue is a direct reference to a book about the insurance industry, titled Delay, Deny, Defend.
The defense has argued that overlapping prosecutions amount to double jeopardy and that evidence taken during Mangione’s arrest in Pennsylvania was obtained unlawfully. Carro said it was too soon to rule on the constitutional claims.
The case has drawn significant public attention, with Mangione developing a following among critics of the health insurance industry. Supporters in green clothing, a reference to Luigi from Super Mario Bros, lined up outside the courthouse Tuesday to support Mangione. They cheered as his defense exited the courthouse following the hearing.
Pretrial hearings in the state case are set for December 1, just days before Mangione is due back in federal court.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.