On Friday, Luigi Mangione appeared at New York federal court in Manhattan, where Federal judge Margaret Garnett announced she would eliminate the possibility of a death penalty sentence in his case.
Mangione is facing charges in federal court and New York State court for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The four federal charges against him included two stalking charges, murder through the use of a firearm, and a firearms offense. The murder through the use of a firearm charge carried a possible death penalty sentence. Mangione’s defense argued that the stalking charges do not meet the requirements for a “crime of violence.” Judge Garnett, according to Friday morning’s opinion, agreed. Mangione now faces the maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The defendant, 27, has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, including weapons and forgery charges in Pennsylvania state court, where he was arrested at an Altoona McDonald’s in December 2024. In April 2025, Mangione was arraigned in federal court. That same month, the U.S. government filed notice it would seek the death penalty. Since then, Mangione’s defense and the prosecution have submitted multiple legal filings about whether or not the death penalty charges should be dismissed. On Jan. 9, the prosecution and defense presented oral arguments about the matter.
In addition to the death penalty charges, there was also the question of whether Mangione’s backpack, which was searched while he was being detained in Altoona, would be admissible as evidence in the case. On Friday, Judge Garnett ruled that it would be allowed as evidence in court.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who leads Mangione’s defense, has said that both President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi have prejudiced the case by their public comments about Mangione. In September, President Donald Trump appeared on Fox News and called Mangione a “pure assassin” adding he “shot someone in the back.” Trump later declared he considered anyone supporting Mangione to be a domestic terrorist. This was soon after a New York State judge had dismissed terrorism charges against Mangione, citing lack of evidence.
Garnett had previously admonished Bondi and told the Justice Department to refrain from commenting publicly on the case.
On Jan. 23, Garnett heard from an Altoona police officer in a one-day suppression hearing to determine whether or not evidence acquired during Mangione’s arrest violated his constitutional rights, which is what his defense team claims. (In December, a New York state judge oversaw a three-week evidence suppression hearing and will rule with his decision on May 18.) Judge Garnett had previously said the trial will begin in Oct. 13 if the death penalty was excluded.
Earlier this week, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann submitted a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Gregory Carro asking that the state trial against Mangione be allowed to begin on July 1, 2026, ahead of Mangione’s federal trial.
“New York State unquestionably has a deep interest in, upholding the fundamental right to life, maintaining public order, and delivering justice for a murder committed in its jurisdiction,” wrote Seidemann. “Federal law supports our request that we proceed first and our right to a speedy resolution of this case would be severely compromised should the federal trial proceed first.”
Friedman Agnifilo replied in a statement, saying the federal government already has a firm trial date. “As a practical matter, Mr. Mangione’s defense team will require the remainder of the year to prepare for that trial. We will respond to the Court about this unrealistic request in the coming days.”
The day before Mangione appeared in federal court, a Minnesota man named Mark Anderson was charged with impersonating an FBI agent in an alleged effort to break Mangione out of the Brooklyn jail where he is being held. According to the complaint, Anderson arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center at 6:50 p.m. claiming he had paperwork signed by a judge to release an inmate. A law enforcement source says the inmate was Mangione, although Mangione was not named in the complaint or brought up by name at Anderson’s arraignment.
According to authorities, Anderson threw paperwork at the Bureau of Prison officers and claimed to be in possession of weapons. A pizza cutter and barbecue fork were found in Anderson’s backpack. (Anderson had previously worked at a Bronx pizzeria.) He is currently being held at MDC Brooklyn, the jail he allegedly attempted to break into.
This is a developing story.
Hoyt Richards as a young man.
