Federal prosecutors on Thursday filed a formal notice of intent to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
This comes one day before Mangione's arraignment hearing in federal court, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday.
Mangione, 26, is accused of fatally shooting Thompson outside a New York City hotel on Dec. 4, 2024 as Thompson was on his way to an investors conference. He has been indicted on two counts of stalking, a firearms offense and murder through the use of a firearm.
In the filing, prosecutors argue Mangione intentionally killed Thompson outside his hotel "to amplify an ideological message, maximize the visibility and impact of the victim's murder, and to provoke broad-based resistance to the victim's industry."
They go on to say Mangione creates a future danger "because he expressed intent to target an entire industry, and rally political and social opposition to that industry, by engaging in an act of lethal violence."
"He took steps to evade law enforcement, flee New York City immediately after the murder, and cross state lines while armed with a privately manufactured firearm and silencer," prosecutors added.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated earlier this month that she had directed federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty in this case, citing "President Trump's agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again."
The president signed an executive order on his first day in office compelling the Department of Justice to seek the death penalty where applicable.
Mangione's attorneys previously asked a judge to stop prosecutors from seeking the death penalty, saying the U.S. government "intends to kill Mr. Mangione as a political stunt."
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Katie Houlis