Defense attorneys for Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, are urging a federal judge to block the Justice Department from seeking the death penalty.
They are claiming the case is being politicized under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Mangione, a former Ivy League student from a wealthy Maryland family, allegedly stalked Thompson in Manhattan before fatally shooting him in the back on December 4.
The executive was murdered as he walked toward a Midtown hotel for a shareholder conference.
The killing of the 50-year-old father of two sent shockwaves through the corporate world.
Law enforcement arrested Mangione five days later in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
The case made headlines after a photo of Mangione grinning at the scene of the murder went viral.
Defense: DOJ “Prejudiced” Case, Politicized Death Penalty
In a 118-page motion filed Saturday, Mangione’s legal team accused the Justice Department of improperly using the case to advance President Trump’s renewed push for capital punishment.
Trump is reversing former President Joe Biden’s move to clear most inmates from federal death row.
“Luigi Mangione is a 27-year-old Italian-American dual citizen whose beautiful, promising life has been derailed,” his six attorneys wrote.
They described him as being “now fighting for his life against a government that seeks to execute him.”
The filing specifically called out Attorney General Pam Bondi for remarks she made in April on Fox News Sunday.
Bondi, a longtime capital prosecutor, told viewers:
“I was a capital prosecutor.
“I tried death penalty cases throughout my career.
“If there was ever a death case, this is one.”
Defense lawyers argued that such comments “prejudice the entirety of this case,” amounting to the nation’s top prosecutor declaring Mangione guilty and deserving of execution before trial.
They also claimed DOJ officials, law enforcement leaders, and New York prosecutors have serially violated Mangione’s constitutional rights.
The lawyers cite prosecutors overcharging Mangione with a death-eligible federal offense and the leaking of details about a so-called “manifesto” and political messages allegedly scrawled on bullet casings.
Charges Narrowed, But Federal Case Looms
While Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office initially filed terrorism-related charges, a New York judge threw them out.
It left Mangione with a top state count of second-degree murder.
Federally, however, he faces stalking, murder through the use of a firearm, and additional gun-related charges, offenses that federal prosecutors say qualify for capital punishment.
Mangione’s defense wants the federal indictment dismissed altogether, or at a minimum, the Justice Department barred from seeking the death penalty.
Prosecutors, in turn, have argued that the defense cannot dictate how evidence is presented to a grand jury.
Case Still Developing
Thompson’s murder has sparked national debate, not only because of the high-profile nature of the victim, who was the CEO of the country’s largest health insurer, but also because the alleged murder weapon contained 3D-printed components, raising new questions about firearm regulations.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty.
He faces proceedings in New York, Pennsylvania, and federal court as the battle over whether he could become one of the first death penalty cases pursued under Trump’s second term continues to unfold.
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.