By Rabia Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) - Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty in the federal case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after a US judge on Friday dismissed two of the four federal charges against him.
US District Judge Margaret M. Garnett threw out the most serious counts, including murder through the use of a firearm, which carried a possible death sentence, as well as a related firearms charge.
Mangione still faces two federal stalking counts and has pleaded not guilty.
The 27-year-old is accused of gunning down Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in a targeted attack on Dec. 4, 2024. He was captured after a five-day manhunt in Altoona, Pennsylvania, nearly 300 miles (483 kilometers) west of New York City.