US prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Luigi Mangione in healthcare boss murder case
US prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
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US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that she had directed federal prosecutors to seek the penalty for the "premeditated, cold-blooded assassination".
One of the federal charges against Mangione, murder through use of a firearm, makes him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
In the statement, Bondi said: "Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson -- an innocent man and father of two young children -- was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.
"After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again."
Mangione is accused of gunning down Thompson outside a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan as the CEO headed to an investors conference on Dec. 4.
He was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after the murder.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state charges.He hasn’t entered a plea to federal charges. He is due back in federal court on April 18.