OAN Staff Sophia Flores
11:11 AM – Tuesday, September 16, 2025
A New York judge has thrown out the top counts in the criminal case against Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of stalking and fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
On Tuesday, during a 15-minute pre-trial hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court, Judge Gregory Carro dismissed the charges of murder in the first-degree as an act of terrorism and second-degree murder as an act of terrorism against Mangione.
Prosecutors have argued that Mangione’s plan to kill Thompson was orchestrated in order to “violently broadcast a social and political message to the public at large.”
Advertisement
“There was no evidence presented of a desire to terrorize the public, inspire widespread fear, engage in a broader campaign of violence, or to conspire with organized terrorist groups,” Judge Carro found in a 12-page written decision. “Here, the crime – the heinous, but targeted and discrete killing of one person — is very different from the examples of terrorism set forth in the statute.”
Nonetheless, his other second-degree murder charge remains.
“The People presented sufficient evidence that the defendant murdered Brian Thompson in a premeditated and calculated execution. That does not mean, however, that the defendant did so with terroristic intent,” Carro wrote in his decision.
The ruling means that Mangione will now be eligible for parole if convicted at trial. Prior to Tuesday’s decision, he faced 25-years-to-life without the possibility of parole. However, the 27-year-old still faces other federal charges that carry the death penalty.
He is due back in court on December 1, 2025.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
