Luigi Mangione won't face death penalty as judge gives update on two charges

Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty when he goes to trial over the death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, a judge has ruled.

Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania back in December 2024, just days after Thompson was killed on the streets of New York.

Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was shot as he was leaving the Hilton Hotel on Sixth Avenue, which prompted an intense search for the suspect by authorities.

In a new update, US District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed a federal murder charge against Mangione, after finding it to be technically flawed.

Judge Garnett did leave in place stalking charges, which carry a maximum of life in prison. Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including federal and state murder charges.

Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty (Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images)

His lawyers are yet to comment on the decision.

Despite the decision, Mangione still faces more than a dozen state and federal charges for the alleged targeted hit.

Recently, bodycam footage has revealed the moment he was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant.

Back in October, lawyers asked a New York federal judge to dismiss some of the criminal charges against Mangione, including the only count that would see him potentially face the death penalty.

The papers, filed in Manhattan federal court, stated that prosecutors should not be allowed to use his statements given to police, as he was allegedly not read his Miranda rights. They cited the police bodycam footage as evidence.

It also stated that his backpack, where the gun was found, should not be used as evidence in court because police allegedly did not have a warrant to search it, and this would ultimately be violating his rights.

Mangione's lawyers argued the federal charges against him should be dropped as the federal murder charge relies on a murder being committed with a firearm as part of other 'crimes of violence'.

Jury selection in the federal case is set to begin on September 8. The state trial has not yet been scheduled.