Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty for allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a U.S. judge ruled on Friday.
District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed a federal murder charge against Mangione, finding that it was technically flawed. Garnett left in place stalking charges that carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.
Mangione, 27, pleaded not guilty to federal and state murder charges. The state charges also carry the possibility of life behind bars.
Mangione is accused of killing Thompson, who was gunned down on a New York City street in December 2024.
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Jury selection in Mangione’s federal case is scheduled to begin on September 8. The state trial is yet to be scheduled.
The judge’s decision comes a day after Mark Anderson, 36, was arrested for allegedly entering the New York jail where Mangione is being held and attempting to free him by posing as an FBI agent.
According to court documents, obtained by the Associated Press, Anderson approached uniformed jail officers claiming to have signed paperwork ordering Mangione’s release.
When the officers asked for his federal identification, Anderson presented a Minnesota driver’s licence, threw papers at them and claimed he was armed, court documents say.
A bag search revealed a barbecue fork and a circular blade, the court filing said. In a photo included in the complaint, the blade appeared to be a small pizza cutter.
Court records indicated Anderson had been living in New York City since at least 2023, including at motels, a shelter and a Bronx apartment.
Anderson, acting as his own lawyer, has filed handwritten lawsuits against the Pentagon, the Chinese and Russian ambassadors and a Minnesota police department, all of which have been dismissed.
Another lawsuit, alleging a Bronx pizzeria forced him to work 70 hours a week with no overtime, is pending.
Anderson, a Minnesota native, has a history of drug and other arrests in his home state and in Wisconsin, where he has also lived. It was disclosed last year in court papers that he suffers from mental illness.
He also has cases pending in the Bronx, including one in which he’s accused of showing a gun.
A criminal complaint against Anderson did not identify the person he attempted to free.
A law enforcement official familiar with the matter confirmed it was Mangione. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity.
Mangione is being held at the notorious Brooklyn jail while awaiting federal and state trials.
— With files from the Associated Press
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