Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused of a chilling sidewalk assassination in New York City, is fighting tooth and nail against a federal death penalty push that his team claims reeks of political theater, Fox News reported.
In a case that’s gripped the nation, Mangione is charged with the brazen murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024, and now faces a legal battle across state and federal courts while his defense cries foul over alleged constitutional overreach.
The tragedy unfolded when Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two from Minnesota, was gunned down near a hotel in Midtown Manhattan where he was set to attend a shareholder conference.
Surveillance footage released by the NYPD captured a suspect and person of interest linked to the shooting, painting a grim picture of the calculated attack on that fateful December day.
Just five days later, on Dec. 9, 2024, Mangione was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, a moment that sparked a viral storm with a photo of him grinning post-arrest making rounds online.
By Dec. 19, 2024, Mangione was escorted by NYPD and FBI Joint Task Force members to a heliport in New York City, signaling the gravity of the charges piling up against him.
Initially hit with state-level terror charges by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Mangione saw those tossed out by a New York judge, leaving him with a top state charge of second-degree murder.
Federally, the accusations are even heavier—stalking, murder with a firearm, and additional gun charges tied to a suspected weapon featuring 3D-printed components.
Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty, also faces charges in Pennsylvania, creating a legal web that spans multiple jurisdictions over this high-profile slaying.
Described as an Italian-American dual citizen and former Ivy Leaguer from a well-to-do Maryland family, Mangione’s defense paints him as a man whose promising life has been upended by a government hell-bent on making an example out of him.
In a hefty 118-page motion, his six attorneys accuse the Justice Department of trampling his constitutional rights with a death penalty push they claim is more about political posturing than justice. Isn’t it curious how capital punishment suddenly becomes a shiny tool when certain administrations want to flex muscle?
They’ve zeroed in on Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging her public statements across social media, TV interviews, and official releases have poisoned the case. “I was a capital prosecutor,” Bondi declared on Fox News Sunday, adding, “If there was ever a death case, this is one.” Talk about a prejudgment that could tilt the scales before a jury even convenes.
The defense lists six specific violations, including Bondi’s remarks, an indictment they call arbitrary while a related motion was pending, and a death penalty pursuit they argue violates the Fifth and Eighth Amendments. If true, this isn’t just a legal misstep—it’s a full-on constitutional stumble.
They’ve also taken aim at New York City leaders for hyping the state case, overcharging, and leaking details about anti-health insurance messages on bullet casings and a so-called “manifesto”—a term the defense rejects. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors shrug, insisting the defense has no say in how evidence reaches a grand jury, which sounds like a convenient dodge of accountability.
