Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024, has been indicted on a federal murder charge. Mangione was indicted in front of a grand jury in a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday.
Mangione was hit with one count of murder through the use of a firearm, one count of firearms offence, and two counts of stalking, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
He also faces separate state murder charges, including terrorism charges in New York state as well as gun possession and other charges in Pennsylvania.
Mangione’s indictment makes him eligible for the death penalty. (Source: Getty Images)
It has not been made clear when Mangione will be arraigned and his lawyers have not commented publicly on the update.
Mangione is accused of killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson, 50, with a shot to his back as the latter arrived at the company’s investor conference in December 2024.
Earlier this month, the administration for President Donald Trump announced that prosecutors will be seeking the death penalty for Mangione.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” US Department of Justice-confirmed Attorney-General Pam Bondi wrote in a statement.
“After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
Bondi described Mangione’s actions as “cold-blooded” in a statement. (Source: Getty Images)
Police revealed that the gun used by Mangione — which was mostly made via a 3D printer — had bullets engraved with the words “Defend”, “Deny”, “Depose” on them; a reference to a phrase used as criticism against health insurers refusing to pay claims made by their clients.
Mangione’s actions and subsequent five day manhunt made international headlines and polarised the public, opening the floodgates on discussions that scrutinised America’s private healthcare system.
In a written document found by police, Mangione stated that he had respect for “the Feds”, but held strong contempt against healthcare insurers.
“Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming,” Mangione wrote.
“A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy.
“United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart. It has grown and grown, but as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allwed [sic] them to get away with it.
“Obviously the problem is more complex, but I do not have space, and frankly I do not pretend to be the most qualified person to lay out the full argument.
“Evidently I am the first to face it with such brutal honesty.”
Mangione is currently residing in the Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC) — the same prison that is housing disgraced music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combes — in Brooklyn, New York.
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