Judge dismisses ‘murder as an act of terrorism’ charge, but keeps second-degree murder count, as the Ivy League graduate’s case continues to attract a cult following.
A New York judge has dismissed the state’s terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League graduate accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. However, second-degree murder charges against Mangione will proceed.
Judge Gregory Carro’s decision rejects the argument that the killing was an act of terrorism under state law, though he noted that the crime was not “ordinary street crime.”
The ruling came during Mangione’s first court appearance in the state case since February. His lawyers had argued that the New York case, alongside a parallel federal death penalty prosecution, constituted double jeopardy. Judge Carro rejected this, stating that such a determination would be premature.
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The judge’s decision explained that New York law requires more than ideological motivation for a crime to be considered terrorism; the goal must be to “intimidate and coerce a civilian population,” a goal for which no evidence was presented.
The 27-year-old Mangione has garnered a significant following among those frustrated with the health insurance industry. His supporters, some wearing the green color of the Luigi video game character in solidarity, have attended his previous court appearances in both state and federal cases.
Prosecutors allege that Mangione’s actions were inspired by his animus towards the health care industry, and they have cited his handwritten diary as evidence. In the writings, which they sometimes referred to as a “manifesto,” Mangione allegedly praised the Unabomber and mused about killing a “greedy basta*d” in the insurance industry. They argue that the murder of Brian Thompson was an act intended to bring about “revolutionary change.”
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Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty, was arrested five days after the Dec. 4, 2024, killing of Thompson. Surveillance video shows a masked gunman shooting Thompson as he arrived for a conference at the New York Hilton Midtown. Police noted that the ammunition was scrawled with the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose,” a phrase commonly associated with how insurers avoid paying claims.
The federal case against Mangione, which does not include terrorism allegations, alleges that he stalked Thompson. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in April that federal prosecutors would seek the death penalty, calling the killing a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination.”
Pretrial hearings in the state case have been scheduled for December 1, just days before Mangione is due back in federal court. Mangione’s lawyers have previously stated that the dual prosecutions have created a “legal quagmire” that makes it “legally and logistically impossible to defend against them simultaneously.”
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