Luigi Mangione indicted on federal murder charge over CEO killing as US pushes for death penalty
18 April 2025, 01:04 | Updated: 18 April 2025, 01:20
Luigi Mangione has been indicted on a federal murder charge for the killing of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, as the US pushes for the death penalty.
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The formal charge, returned by a grand jury in Manhattan federal court, is a necessary step for prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
Mangione, 26, was also charged with two counts of stalking and a firearms count.
It is not yet clear when he will be arraigned and summoned to enter a plea before a court.
The Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family also faces separate state murder charges.
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He is accused of shooting Mr Thompson, 50, in the back outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4 as the executive arrived for UnitedHealthcare's annual investor conference.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced this month she had directed federal prosecutors in Manhattan to seek the death penalty, following through on President Donald Trump's campaign promise to vigorously pursue capital punishment.
It is the first death penalty case sought by the Justice Department since Mr Trump returned to office in January with a vow to resume federal executions after they were halted under the previous administration.
The killing and ensuing five-day manhunt leading to Mangione's arrest rattled the business community, with some health insurers hastily switching to remote work or online shareholder meetings.
It also galvanised health insurance critics - some of whom have rallied around Mangione as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills.
Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind. Police say the words "delay," "deny", and "depose" were scrawled on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase commonly used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.
