Mangione officially indicted for murder by federal grand jury
Luigi Mangione, 26, has officially been indicted on a federal murder charge in the December killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
After reviewing the evidence provided by prosecutors, a federal grand jury in Manhattan returned an indictment on Thursday, charging Mangione with murder, along with two counts of stalking and one firearms offense. The indictment makes the pending federal case official.
The original 11-count indictment sought by federal prosecutors was first revealed in December. However, the grand jury has officially reduced the number of charges to four.
Mangione has already been indicted in New York City on state murder charges and also faces firearms-related charges in Pennsylvania. Prosecutors allege the weapon seized from Mangione in Pennsylvania was used to kill Thompson.
Thompson was shot and killed outside a hotel in New York City on Dec. 4, 2023. A nationwide manhunt for the masked assailant led to Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania on Dec. 9.
In New York, Mangione is charged with terrorism-related first-degree murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. However, if convicted in federal court, the U.S. Department of Justice has made clear it will seek the death penalty.
Representing Mangione is Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a high-profile trial attorney who frequently appears as a legal expert on various cable news programs. She is challenging multiple aspects of the case, including the legitimacy of the search that led to Mangione’s arrest and the alleged evidence—the handgun, a handwritten note and multiple fake IDs—recovered as a result.
Mangione will first face trial in New York City on the state charges, before appearing in federal court. The state murder case remains in its preliminary stages and has not yet entered jury selection.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.