Luigi Mangione is escorted into Manhattan state court in New York. (AP) Lawyers for Luigi Mangione have asked a judge in New York to stop prosecutors from pursuing the death penalty against him. Mangione is accused of killing Brian Thompson, the head of UnitedHealthcare’s insurance unit, outside a Manhattan hotel last December.
In a filing on Saturday, the defence said US Justice Department officials had violated Mangione’s due process rights. They argued that the death penalty should be ruled out because of what they called an “unconstitutional” media display when Mangione was first brought into custody.
The lawyers said he had been paraded in front of cameras in shackles while being escorted from a helicopter. “Because of the blatant, intentional and damaging nature of this torrent of prejudice from multiple public officials, mainly the United States Attorney General, from the inception of this case through the grand jury vote on April 17, 2025, the death penalty indictment against Mr. Mangione must be dismissed,” the motion stated, according to Reuters.
Mangione pleads not guilty
Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of murder and interstate stalking. He is accused of shooting Thompson outside a Midtown hotel where executives were attending a conference on 4 December 2024.
Prosecutors have until 31 October to respond to the defence request. The case is overseen by US District Judge Margaret Garnett.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in April that the government would seek the death penalty, calling the killing “a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”
Defence lawyers said that statement was “unapologetically political,” and that prosecutors broke standard protocol by not first conducting a full review or allowing them to argue against the decision.
Political backdrop
The case has drawn national attention, with some Americans expressing sympathy for Mangione’s anger over rising health costs and the power of insurers to reject treatment claims. At the same time, officials have warned of the risks of rising political violence, particularly after the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. President Trump, has not publicly commented on the case.
If Judge Garnett allows the death penalty and Mangione is later convicted, the same jury would decide whether he should face execution. His next federal court hearing is set for 5 December, when a trial date for 2026 could be set.
Meanwhile, Mangione also faces state charges, including murder. On Tuesday, a New York judge dismissed two terrorism charges but left nine others in place. New York’s death penalty law was struck down in 2004, but that does not affect federal prosecutions.
Mangione could face life in prison if convicted at either the state or federal level. His next state hearing is scheduled for 1 December.
