Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Tuesday that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the man charged with the December killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan.
The decision, Bondi said, followed “careful consideration” and aligns with an executive order from President Donald Trump that reinstated the federal government’s use of capital punishment, reversing a moratorium imposed under the Biden administration in 2021.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson, an innocent man and father of two young children, was a premeditated, coldblooded assassination that shocked America,” Bondi said in a statement. She has directed Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to formally pursue the death penalty if Mangione is convicted.
Thompson, 50, was shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel in what prosecutors have described as a politically motivated act of violence. Investigators allege that Mangione, 38, viewed Thompson as a symbol of what he called “systemic healthcare greed” and targeted him because of his position as an insurance executive.
The shooting drew national attention for its public nature and timing. It was captured on surveillance footage and followed by a rapid arrest and federal indictment. Mangione has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody pending trial.
The Justice Department’s decision marks one of the first known federal capital cases to be pursued under Bondi’s leadership. The department has not confirmed whether other death penalty requests are under consideration, but this case could signal a broader policy shift consistent with the Trump administration’s stance on violent crime and punishment.
Spokespersons for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment further, citing the active nature of the prosecution. No trial date has been set, but legal analysts expect proceedings to extend well into 2026.
If convicted and sentenced to death, Mangione would be one of the first federal prisoners eligible for execution under the reinstated policy. Capital punishment remains a deeply divisive issue, with multiple states still maintaining their own moratoriums or bans on executions.
The case continues to attract widespread media attention due to its political dimensions, its high-profile victim, and the growing national conversation around corporate accountability, gun violence, and criminal justice reform.
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