Luigi Mangione's Major Win! Accused Assassin Won't Face Death Penalty in Federal Trial for UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder

Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty for allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, RadarOnline.com can report.

In a big win for the defense, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed a federal murder charge against Mangione. Garnett ruled that a pair of stalking charges against the 27-year-old did not meet the legal definition of a "crime of violence" and had to be dismissed.

One of the charges carried the possibility of the death penalty.

The decision is a loss for federal prosecutors, who were adamant about pursuing the death penalty in the case. Mangione will still face two counts of stalking. If convicted, those counts have a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

His legal team had been exploring several different scenarios to eliminate the death penalty, including blasting Attorney General Pam Bondi for arguing for his death if he's found guilty.

As Radar previously reported, Mangione's lawyers made a sensational claim against Bondi, filing a motion that accused her of a "profound conflict of interest" that allegedly violated Mangione's rights. They did this in an attempt to have the death penalty thrown out.

As evidence, they cited Bondi's prior work history, where she was employed at Ballard Partners, which had UnitedHealthcare as one of its top clients. The suspected killer's lawyers argued that, when Bondi called for the death penalty to be sought, Bondi violated her vow to adhere to ethical regulations and recuse herself from things related to Ballard Clients for a full year.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal and state murder charges, which carry the possibility of life in prison. He has had several pretrial hearings in which defense attorneys have asked to disqualify items found in his backpack after what they contend was an illegal search, because police had not yet obtained a warrant.

Among the evidence Mangione's lawyers want to prevent the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office from presenting to jurors is a 9 mm handgun that prosecutors claim matches the one used in the December 4, 2024, killing in New York City.

Another piece of crucial evidence they want booted is a journal in which they allege Mangione described his intent to "wack" the 50-year-old.

Last week, an officer from the Altoona Police Department, who was not an arresting officer, was called to testify about proper police procedures "for securing, safeguarding, and, if applicable, inventorying the personal property of a person arrested in a public place."

Nathan Snyder, deputy chief of the Altoona Police, testified that if officers found something illegal, like drugs, they would typically pause to get an official search warrant. However, Snyder did say that if officers found a gun or similar weapon, they would continue searching for other dangerous items without the need for a warrant.

U.S. District Judge Garnett has said she'll rule on evidence issues in May.

Meanwhile, Mangione might soon have some company behind bars, after a Minnesota man allegedly posed as an FBI agent to break the accused killer out of Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center jail, all while carrying a pizza cutter and barbecue fork.

Mark Anderson, 36, was charged on Thursday, January 29, with impersonating a federal agent for pretending to be an FBI agent and claiming to have a court order "signed by a judge" to release Mangione, 27.

Bureau of Prisons personnel at MDC became suspicious and wanted to see the man's credentials. Anderson produced a Minnesota driver's license and "threw at the BOP officers numerous documents."

A search of Anderson's bag, according to the criminal complaint, revealed that he was carrying weapons, including a barbecue fork and a pizza cutter.

It's unclear what, if any, connection Anderson has to Mangione.