Luigi Mangione indicted on murder charge in step towards death penalty

Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has been indicted on a federal murder charge in a necessary step for prosecutors who wish to seek the death penalty.

The indictment returned by a grand jury in Manhattan federal court on Thursday local time also charges Mr Mangione with two counts of stalking and a firearms count.

It was not immediately clear when the 26-year-old will be arraigned. 

A message seeking comment was left by AP for a spokesperson for his lawyers.

Mr Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, also faces separate state murder charges.

He is accused of shooting Mr Thompson, 50, in the back outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4 last year as the executive arrived for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced this month that she had directed federal prosecutors in Manhattan to seek the death penalty, following through on the president’s campaign promise to vigorously pursue capital punishment.

It is the first death penalty case sought by the Justice Department since US President Donald 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 Mr 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 Mr Mangione as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Mr 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.

AP 

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