A New York state judge on Tuesday dismissed state terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, but kept the second-degree murder charges in connection with the December killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
New York Judge Gregory Carro tossed charges of murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism against Mangione. Carro ruled that prosecutors presented “legally sufficient evidence of all other counts, including Murder in the Second Degree.”
Mangione, 27, still faces federal charges and other state charges in Pennsylvania, to all of which he has pleaded not guilty.
Thompson, 50, was shot and killed by a masked gunman on the streets of Midtown Manhattan in December, hours before he was set to speak at UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference. The shooter fled the scene of the crime on a bike, riding it into Central Park, evading capture and prompting a days-long manhunt.
Brian Thompson was named chief executive officer for UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. UnitedHealthcare
Days later, an employee at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, called police and said they saw a man wearing a medical mask who they believed matched images authorities released of the shooter. The masked man in the McDonald’s was Mangione, according to authorities.
Mangione was then brought back to New York to face state charges in an unusual, high-profile manner. After arriving in New York by plane, authorities transported him to the city by helicopter, where he was met by heavily armed police, Mayor Eric Adams and TV camera crews.
In April, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Mangione. In June, prosecutors released what they have described as writings connecting Mangione to Thompson’s death.
Mangione’s lawyers have argued that the writings and other evidence seized at the time of his arrest should be suppressed, contending that authorities conducted a warrantless search of their client’s belongings.
One alleged diary entry suggested that someone should “wack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention,” according to a court filing.
“It’s targeted, precise, and doesn’t risk innocents. Most importantly, the point is self-evident,” the diary entry reads, according to the filing. “The point is made in the news headline ‘Insurance CEO killed at annual investors conference.'”
Thompson’s killing did just that and more.
In the weeks that followed the father-of-two’s slaying, Thompson’s death prompted a wider and charged national conversation about the high costs of health care in the United States.
Police place bullet casing markers outside the Hilton Hotel where Brian Thompson was fatally shot in December. Spencer Platt / Getty Images file
It also provoked a broader discussion about high-profile acts of violence in the United States, drawing comparisons to attacks on prominent politicians, including President Donald Trump and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Prosecutors said in a court filing last month that Mangione has encouraged others to commit similar acts of violence.
Thompson’s killing has been top of mind in recent days following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week.
Mangione’s hearings in New York City regularly draw protests against the health care industry, with flocks of people picketing for his release.
Some two dozen mostly women are online waiting to witness the proceedings on Tuesday. One told NBC News she has been waiting for thirty hours outside to get in and arrived overnight on Monday. She is wearing a t-shirt that reads “Free Luigi.”
Mangione’s legal defense fund has surpassed $1.2 million.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.