Washington, DC [US], April 1 : US Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Bondi described the killing as a "premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked the nation."
In a statement, Bondi said, "Luigi Mangione's murder of Brian Thompson -- an innocent man and father of two young children -- was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump's agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again."
Mangione is accused of murdering Thompson on December 4 in what authorities described as an "act of political violence." According to the US Department of Justice, Mangione's actions involved substantial planning and premeditation.
"As alleged, Luigi Mangione stalked and murdered UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. The murder was an act of political violence. Mangione's actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons," the statement read.
"Following federal murder charges handed down on Dec. 19, 2024, Attorney General Bondi has now directed Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in this case," it added.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges, however, he has not been arraigned on the federal charges, CBS News reported. According to prosecutors, Mangione killed Thompson outside the Hilton Midtown hotel in Manhattan on December 4 as Thompson walked to a UnitedHealthcare investors conference.
Following the shooting, a five-day manhunt was conducted, leading investigators from a hostel on the Upper West Side to a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was taken into custody, CBS News reported.
Investigators said he was carrying a backpack which had a gun matching the description of the murder weapon and a notebook with writings critical of the insurance industry. Luigi Mangione was taken back to New York City, where he remains in federal custody at Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, CBS News reported. Last week, Mangione's defence team urged the court to give him a laptop so that he could review documents related to the case.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office did not agree to the request, saying Mangione has access to computers at Metropolitan Detention Center and that he has received special treatment, like being able to change into different clothes for his appearances in court. The District Attorney's office accused his attorneys of keeping heart-shaped notes in his a pair of socks ahead of his last hearing.