A judge on Tuesday dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in New York state’s case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but kept second-degree murder charges in place. Mangione, a 27-year-old Ivy League graduate, had pleaded not guilty to murder as an act of terrorism in the Dec. 4, 2024, shooting. But Judge Gregory Carro ruled the terrorism counts could not stand. In his decision, Carro wrote that while Mangione expressed hostility toward UnitedHealthcare and the health care industry, there was no evidence he acted with the intent to “intimidate or coerce a civilian population,” as required under state law. “While the defendant was clearly expressing an animus toward UHC, and the health care industry generally, it does not follow that his goal was to ‘intimidate and coerce a civilian population,’ and indeed, there was no evidence presented of such a goal,” Carro wrote.
The ruling means Mangione still faces state charges of second-degree murder, alongside a parallel federal prosecution where the Justice Department is seeking the death penalty. US Attorney General Pam Bondi has called the killing “a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”The charges
- Dismissed: Murder as an act of terrorism under state law.
- Remaining in state court: Second-degree murder and related counts.
- Federal case: Separate indictment seeking the death penalty, based on stalking and premeditation, but not terrorism.
Mangione appeared in state court Tuesday for the first time since February, wearing beige prison clothes, handcuffs and shackles. Judge Carro scheduled pretrial hearings for December 1, just before Mangione’s next federal court date. Prosecutors allege Mangione shot Thompson from behind as the CEO arrived at the New York Hilton Midtown for an investor conference. Surveillance video captured the masked gunman, and investigators later recovered ammunition scrawled with the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” a phrase linked to insurance claim practices. Mangione was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and has since been held at the Brooklyn federal jail where Sean “Diddy” Combs is also detained.Supporters and writings The case has drawn a cult following. Supporters often appear in court wearing green, the color of Nintendo’s Luigi character, and chanting “Free Luigi.” On Tuesday, some cheered outside the courthouse as news of the dismissed terrorism charges spread. Prosecutors have leaned heavily on Mangione’s own writings, which they describe as a manifesto. In his diary, he praised Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, attacked the “greed fueled health insurance cartel,” and wrote that killing an executive “conveys a greedy bastard that had it coming.” In a note addressed “To the feds,” he allegedly confessed: “It had to be done.” Defense lawyers argue the state and federal prosecutions create a “legal quagmire” and amount to double jeopardy. Carro rejected that argument for now, calling it premature. Prosecutors insist the two cases are legally distinct and can move forward simultaneously.
