In a major setback for prosecutors, Judge Gregory Carro dismissed the terrorism enhancements against 27-year-old Ivy League graduate Luigi Mangione, tossing charges of first-degree murder as an act of terrorism and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism.
The decision means Mangione will not be tried as a terrorist. He still faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life, but unlike before, he will now be eligible for parole. With the terrorism charges intact, he would have faced the same sentence without the possibility of parole.
JUST IN: Judge dismisses the terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione stating “the evidence before the grand jury was legally insufficient.” pic.twitter.com/0NFs7xUL8N
— The Luigi Case (@LuigiCaseFiles) September 16, 2025
Mangione still faces both federal and state murder charges. The federal indictment includes “murder through the use of a firearm” and stalking counts that could bring a death sentence if convicted. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated she would pursue the death penalty for what she described as "a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination." Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Luigi Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December of 2024. Thompson was shot outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan while attending an investor conference. Following a nationwide manhunt, Mangione was arrested five days later in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
The case has drawn significant attention for its ties to broader criticisms of the health insurance industry, with some voices on the far left even casting Mangione as a hero for striking fear into its leadership. Longstanding perceptions, often fueled by claims that insurers profit at the expense of patient care, have painted the healthcare industry as a villain in the eyes of many.
UnitedHealthcare operates on a profit margin of roughly five percent, relatively low compared to many other industries, suggesting that government overregulation, rather than corporate greed, may be the deeper issue at play.