ATTORNEY General Pam Bondi wants alleged assassin Luigi Mangione to be put to death if he’s found guilty of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione, 26, faces four federal charges over the shooting death of Thompson on December 4, 2024.
Luigi Mangione being escorted by police in New York City on December 19, 2024
ReutersAttorney General Pam Bondi during her first press conference at the Justice Department in Washington DC on February 12, 2025[/caption]
RexUnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot dead on December 4, 2024[/caption]
ReutersSecurity camera images showing Thompson’s killer shooting him and then escaping the scene on a bike on December 4[/caption]
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Tuesday that she directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Mangione’s alleged “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”
In a statement, Bondi offered sympathy for Thompson, whom she called “an innocent man and father of two young children.”
“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,” she said.
Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, has been charged with murder through the use of a firearm, two stalking charges, and a firearms offense.
“The murder was an act of political violence,” Bondi said in her statement.
“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.”
On the morning of December 4, Thompson was shot to death outside of a Manhattan hotel while attending a company conference.
His killer escaped the scene, prompting a five-day manhunt that ended when Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
Magnione was charged with murder on December 9 and slapped with federal murder charges on December 19.
Bondi directed Acting US Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in the case, but he could refuse her orders.
On President Donald Trump’s first day in office on January 20, he signed an executive order demanding the Justice Department seek out the death penalty in federal cases when it’s applicable.
It comes after former President Joe Biden issued a moratorium on federal executions.
FEDERAL AND STATE CHARGES
Mangione’s next federal court hearing is scheduled for April 18.
In addition to his federal charges, he also faces state criminal charges.
Timeline of Brian Thompson’s murder
BRIAN Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot to death in Manhattan in an execution-like killing.
Here is everything we know about Thompson’s murder so far.
Monday, December 2 – Thompson travels from his home in Minnesota to New York City for an investor conference in Midtown Manhattan.
Wednesday, December 4, 6:45 am – Thompson walks from his hotel across the street to the New York Hilton Midtown and is murdered by a masked shooter. The execution was caught on surveillance, and the suspect was seen biking away toward Central Park. Cops spark a citywide search for the assassin.
11:30 am – Cops released disturbing images of the execution, offered a reward for information, and made a desperate plea for New Yorkers to keep their eyes out.
12:00 pm – Thompson’s estranged wife Paulette revealed her husband had been threatened before he was shot.
2:45 pm – Cops released more eerie images of the suspect ordering at Starbucks that partially revealed his face. The U.S. Sun confirmed the coffee shop was just two blocks away from the shooting, but it’s unclear when he stopped by.
December 5, 6 am – Reports claim the words “deny,” “dispose,” and “defend” were engraved on live rounds and shell casings left behind by the assassin. These words echo the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which is about the failings of the healthcare industry. The author of the book had no comment on the reports.
8 am– Cops raid a hostel in the Upper West Side of New York City where the suspect is said to have stayed. It’s believed he wore a mask for most of the time he was there.
11 am – A person of interest in Thompson’s murder is pictured. He’s wearing a hood in the photo, but his full face could be seen breaking into a beaming grin. Still, no arrests have been made in the investigation.
Afternoon – Law enforcement confirms the suspect arrived in New York City on a Greyhound bus on November 24. It’s also confirmed that the suspect dropped a burner cell phone near the scene of the shooting.
December 6, 3 pm – Police announce they believe the killer has left New York City via interstate bus. They release more surveillance footage that shows him taking a taxi to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.
December 9 – Luigi Mangione, 26, is arrested as a “strong person of interest” at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was carrying a three-page manifesto, fake IDs, and a gun similar to the one used in Thompson’s murder.
While Mangione hasn’t entered a plea to the federal charges, he pleaded not guilty to a state indictment.
The state charges carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.
In New York, Mangione faces 11 charges, including first-degree murder and murder as a terrorist crime.
In Pennsylvania, he faces fraud and forgery charges as well as firearm offenses.
Mangione’s lawyers are fighting the Pennsylvania charges as they insist cops got his DNA illegally by offering him a snack after his arrest.
In 36 pages of documents, his Pennsylvania defense attorney argued cops confronted Mangione “based on a hunch.”
His team also claimed cops illegally took Mangione’s bag and the notebook containing his alleged manifesto.
Pennsylvania State PoliceMangione eating a hashbrown at McDonald’s before he was arrested[/caption]
APBondi and President Donald Trump at the Justice Department on March 14, 2025[/caption]
APMangione at a court hearing in New York City on February 21, 2025[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
