Luigi Mangione's lawyers seek dismissal of federal charges in
assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO
[October 11, 2025]
By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER
NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for Luigi Mangione asked a New York federal
judge Saturday to dismiss some criminal charges, including the only
count for which he could face the death penalty, from a federal
indictment brought against him in the December assassination of
UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive.
In papers filed in Manhattan federal court, the lawyers said prosecutors
should also be prevented from using at trial his statements to law
enforcement officers and his backpack where a gun and ammunition were
found.
They said Mangione was not read his rights before he was questioned by
law enforcement officers, who arrested him after Brian Thompson was
fatally shot as he arrived at a Manhattan hotel for an investor
conference.
They added that officers did not obtain a warrant before searching
Mangione's backpack.
Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges in the
fatal shooting of Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 as he arrived at a Manhattan
hotel for his company’s annual investor conference.
The killing set off a multi-state search after the suspected shooter
slipped away from the scene and rode a bike to Central Park, before
taking a taxi to a bus depot that offers service to several nearby
states.
Five days later, a tip from a McDonald’s about 233 miles (375
kilometers) away in Altoona, Pennsylvania, led police to arrest Mangione.
He has been held without bail since then.
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Last month, lawyers for Mangione asked that his federal charges be
dismissed and the death penalty be taken off the table as a result
of public comments by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. In April,
Bondi directed prosecutors in New York to seek the death penalty,
calling the killing of Thompson a “premeditated, cold-blooded
assassination that shocked America.”
Murder cases are usually tried in state courts, but prosecutors have
also charged Mangione under a federal law on murders committed with
firearms as part of other “crimes of violence.” It’s the only charge
for which Mangione could face the death penalty, since it's not used
in New York state.
The papers filed early Saturday morning argued that this charge
should be dismissed because prosecutors have failed to identify the
other offenses that would be required to convict him, saying that
the alleged other crime — stalking — is not a crime of violence.
The assassination and its aftermath has captured the American
imagination, setting off a cascade of resentment and online vitriol
toward U.S. health insurers while rattling corporate executives
concerned about security.
After the killing, investigators found the words “delay,” “deny” and
“depose,” written in permanent marker on ammunition at the scene.
The words mimic a phrase used by insurance industry critics.
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