Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty after a U.S. judge on Friday dismissed murder and weapons charges against the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, in a major blow to federal prosecutors. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett in Manhattan said she felt constrained by Supreme Court precedents to dismiss the murder charge, calling it legally incompatible with the two federal stalking charges Mangione still faces. Mangione still faces murder charges in a separate case brought by state prosecutors. Federal murder statutes carry different legal requirements than comparable state laws, and Garnett said federal law required Mangione's murder and weapons charges to be tied to another crime of violence. Mangione, 27, still faces possible life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on the stalking charges.

Source: Philippine Star January 31, 2026 01:56 UTC