New York, US (EFE).- United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced Tuesday that federal prosecutors have been directed to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“After careful consideration, I have ordered federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case, as we implement President Trump’s agenda to crack down on violent crime and make America safe again,” Bondi said in a statement.
The attorney general described Thompson’s killing as a “cold-blooded, premeditated murder” and called the victim an “innocent man and father of two young children” whose life was taken by Mangione.
Bondi further claimed that the murder was “an act of political violence,” alleging that Mangione had stalked and killed Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024.
“Mangione’s actions involved significant planning and premeditation. Given that the murder took place in public, with bystanders nearby, it posed a grave risk to others,” the statement concluded.
Death penalty case moves forward
New York has not executed any prisoners since Eddie Mays in 1963, although inmates remained on death row until 2007, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
While New York state law no longer allows capital punishment, Mangione is facing federal murder charges that could make him eligible for the death penalty.
Additionally, he is involved in two separate legal cases: one state-level trial in New York on possible terrorism charges and another case in Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors have confirmed that the federal and state cases will proceed in parallel.
While the state charges are expected to be tried first, it remains unclear whether Bondi’s announcement will affect the sequence of the proceedings.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges and is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
A high-profile case with public backlash
The 26-year-old suspect is accused of fatally shooting Thompson in the heart of Manhattan before making a dramatic escape.
He was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
The case has sparked nationwide debate, with some people from the US portraying Mangione as a hero for allegedly standing up to private insurance companies.
A crowdfunding campaign to support his legal defense has already raised more than 700,000 dollars. EFE
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