Federal Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Luigi Mangione in UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Murder

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday that federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The decision marks the first federal death penalty case under President Donald Trump’s second administration, fulfilling his campaign pledge to reinstate capital punishment after it was halted under the previous administration.

Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland real estate family, is accused of assassinating Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4. The killing sent shockwaves through the business world, prompting some health insurance companies to shift to remote operations amid security concerns.

Authorities say Mangione ambushed Thompson as he arrived for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference, gunning him down in an attack described as politically motivated. Surveillance footage showed a masked shooter approaching Thompson from behind, while police later discovered ammunition marked with the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose”—a reference to controversial insurance industry practices.

Mangione faces both state and federal murder charges. While his state charges carry a potential life sentence, federal prosecutors now intend to push for the death penalty under capital murder charges involving the use of a firearm.

His attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, condemned the Justice Department’s decision, calling it “barbaric” and arguing that Mangione is being used as a political pawn in a high-profile tug-of-war between state and federal authorities. She has vowed to fight the charges and is seeking to suppress key pieces of evidence.

After a five-day nationwide manhunt, Mangione was captured in Altoona, Pennsylvania—230 miles from New York City. Authorities recovered a 9mm handgun matching the murder weapon, along with a notebook detailing his grievances against the health insurance industry.

Prosecutors revealed chilling entries, including one from August 2024 stating, “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box,” and another from October outlining plans to “wack” an insurance company CEO. Despite his apparent hostility toward the industry, UnitedHealthcare confirmed Mangione was never a client.

The case has become a flashpoint in national debates over the death penalty. Trump, who oversaw 13 executions during his first term, wasted no time reinstating capital punishment. On his first day back in office, he signed an executive order requiring the Justice Department to seek the death penalty in applicable federal cases.

Bondi’s decision to move forward comes just weeks after she lifted the Biden-era moratorium on federal executions. While former President Joe Biden campaigned on eliminating capital punishment, his administration took minimal steps toward abolition, and in his final weeks in office, he commuted 37 of the 40 remaining federal death row sentences.

Only three inmates now remain on federal death row: Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Robert Bowers, the perpetrator of the deadly 2018 Tree of Life synagogue attack in Pittsburgh.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges and has yet to enter a plea in the federal case. The state trial is expected to proceed first, though Bondi’s announcement may alter that timeline. With federal prosecutors now seeking the ultimate punishment, the case is set to be one of the most closely watched legal battles of the year.