Luigi Mangione is escorted into Manhattan state court in New York on Sept. 16.
Seth Wenig/AP
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Seth Wenig/AP
NEW YORK – Defense attorneys representing Luigi Mangione have petitioned a federal judge in New York to dismiss several charges from the indictment related to the December killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, including the sole count that carries the possibility of the death penalty.
In documents submitted to the Manhattan federal court, Mangione’s legal team contended that prosecutors should be barred from introducing his statements made to law enforcement and evidence found in his backpack, which contained a firearm and ammunition.
The defense argued that Mangione was not informed of his Miranda rights prior to questioning by police officers, who apprehended him following the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson as he arrived at a hotel in Manhattan for an investor event.
Additionally, the lawyers highlighted that authorities conducted a search of Mangione’s backpack without securing a warrant, raising concerns about the legality of the evidence collection.
At 27 years old, Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges connected to the December 4 shooting of Thompson, which occurred as the executive arrived for his company’s annual investor conference in Manhattan.
The incident triggered a widespread manhunt spanning multiple states after the alleged shooter fled the scene, initially escaping by bicycle to Central Park before taking a taxi to a bus terminal servicing several neighboring states.
Authorities arrested Mangione five days later following a tip from a McDonald’s location approximately 233 miles away in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Since his arrest, he has remained in custody without bail.
Last month, Mangione’s attorneys requested the dismissal of federal charges and the removal of the death penalty option, citing public remarks made by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. In April, Bondi instructed prosecutors in New York to pursue capital punishment, describing the killing as a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”
While homicide cases are typically prosecuted in state courts, Mangione faces federal charges under a statute addressing murders committed with firearms during other violent crimes. This federal charge is the only one that exposes him to the death penalty, as New York state law does not allow capital punishment.
The defense’s filing early Saturday contended that the federal charge should be dropped because prosecutors have not clearly identified the additional crimes required to support the charge. They argued that the alleged accompanying offense-stalking-does not qualify as a violent crime under the statute.
The assassination and its consequences have gripped the nation’s attention, sparking widespread outrage and online backlash against U.S. health insurance companies, while unsettling corporate leaders concerned about their personal safety.
Investigators discovered the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” written in permanent marker on ammunition at the crime scene-phrases commonly used by critics of the insurance industry to describe alleged obstructive practices.
