NEW YORK (Reuters) – Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the Dec. 4 killing of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, faces two separate murder charges in state and federal court in New York.
Below is an explanation of the charges and what will happen next:
What charges does Mangione face in federal court?
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan yesterday charged Mangione, 26, with one count of firearm murder, one count of using a firearm silencer during a violent crime and two counts of interstate stalking for allegedly surveilling Thompson.
These allegations were based on an FBI complaint. Prosecutors could seek a grand jury indictment against Mangione, which could include different charges.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, arrives at a helipad after his extradition from Pennsylvania, December 19, 2024, in New York. – Reuters image
What consequences could these allegations have?
The federal murder charge is punishable by the death penalty should prosecutors seek it. Otherwise, Mangione faces a life sentence if convicted of murder and a mandatory 30-year sentence if convicted of using a silencer.
The possibility of the death penalty could provide an incentive for Mangione to seek a plea deal, said Anna Cominsky, a professor at New York Law School.
“There is no greater bargaining tool,” Cominsky said.
How would a death penalty case work?
Federal prosecutors need approval from the U.S. attorney general to seek the death penalty. A potential trial would proceed in two phases: one to determine Mangione's guilt and, if he is found guilty, a separate trial in which a jury would decide whether to sentence him to death.
Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma, a New York defense attorney, said prosecutors are more often seeking the death penalty for crimes with multiple victims or for killing police officers. Last year, a federal jury in Manhattan deadlocked on whether to impose the death penalty on Sayfullo Saipov, who was convicted of killing eight people and wounding 12 in an Islamic State-inspired attack in Manhattan in 2017. Instead, Saipov was sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences.
“It's hard to imagine a jury would vote for death in this case,” Margulis-Ohnuma said.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, sits in a court sketch before his two hearings at Blair County Court in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, December 19, 2024. – Reuters image
What are the state charges and their potential penalties?
On Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced that his office had received an 11-count grand jury indictment against Mangione for first-degree murder and murder as an act of terrorism.
Mangione could face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on all state charges. New York State's highest court declared the death penalty unconstitutional in 2004. Despite the state ban, federal prosecutors are still allowed to seek executions for federal cases.
How will the two cases progress?
The state case is currently expected to be heard before the federal case, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan said. Bragg said Thursday that there is precedent for state and federal prosecutions to run in parallel.
Mangione's attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said the two cases appeared to be in conflict because the state case involves a terrorism charge that accuses Mangione of attempting to intimidate a population or influence policy, and the federal case involves his alleged persecution and killing of a person concentrated.
“These are two completely different theories,” Friedman told Agnifilo in court. “These appear to be different cases.” — Reuters
