New York, N.Y. — A judge has dismissed two murder charges against Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, during a court hearing on Tuesday. This marks Mangione’s first appearance in a Manhattan courtroom in five months.
Judge Gregory Carro invalidated the severe accusation of first-degree murder that had classified the crime as an act of terrorism, stating that evidence presented to the grand jury was insufficient to support this characterization. The judge also dismissed a second-degree murder charge connected to the alleged terrorism aspect of the case.
Remaining charges against Mangione include another second-degree murder count, to which he has pleaded not guilty. He is set to be tried in state court for intentional murder in relation to Thompson’s death.
The shooting occurred on December 4, 2024, when Thompson was shot with a 9 mm handgun fitted with a silencer on a busy street in Midtown Manhattan. Following days of searching, authorities apprehended Mangione in Altoona, Pennsylvania. When he was arrested at a McDonald’s, a backpack in his possession reportedly contained the suspected murder weapon, a false identification, and a red notebook that he allegedly used as a diary.
Authorities disclosed that one entry in the notebook expressed Mangione’s apparent intentions, stating, “I finally feel confident about what I will do. The target is insurance. It checks every box.” During the hearing, Mangione’s defense team argued that the police search of his backpack was unlawful, as it was conducted without a warrant.
In April, a federal grand jury charged Mangione with multiple offenses, including two counts of stalking, firearms violations, and murder through the use of a weapon, a charge that could potentially lead to the death penalty if he is convicted. Alongside these federal charges, he also faces state charges in New York stemming from the shooting incident.
Mangione has entered not guilty pleas to all charges across both states, prompting his attorneys to label the simultaneous prosecutions as an “untenable situation.” They have requested that Judge Carro dismiss the New York state case or at least suspend it pending further developments.
Prosecutors are anticipated to seek a trial date in this matter. Meanwhile, Mangione is required to appear in a Pennsylvania courtroom for a pretrial motion hearing scheduled for November 7. He remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he awaits further proceedings for state charges in Pennsylvania, including forgery and providing false identification to law enforcement.
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