Biden-appointed judge rules death penalty unavailable in Mangione murder case

A federal judge ruled Friday that the death penalty will not be an option in the case against Luigi Mangione, multiple media outlets reported.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett, a Biden appointee, comes despite video evidence that prosecutors say shows Mangione, 27, shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson at point-blank range on a New York street in December 2024.

Garnett wrote that she decided to “foreclose the death penalty as an available punishment to be considered by the jury” that will hear the case, the Associated Press reported.

The Trump administration had directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty, but Garnett dismissed a federal murder charge after finding it was “technically flawed,” according to the AP. She also dismissed a gun charge against Mangione but allowed stalking charges to proceed.

Those charges carry potential penalties ranging from 15 years to life in prison, media reports said.

Barnett asked prosecutors to indicate within 30 days if they plan to appeal her decision. It was not immediately clear if they will do so.

Both federal and New York authorities have charged Mangione, an Ivy League graduate who grew up in a wealthy Maryland family. His federal trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 13. The Manhattan district attorney has requested a July 1 trial date.

This is a breaking story and may be updated.