A New York judge on Tuesday dropped the state terrorism charges against UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione.
Last December Mangione was indicted on 11 criminal counts, including first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, for the ambush killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg previously outlined the charges in a statement, revealing that the New York State Supreme Court indictment includes:
- Murder in the First Degree, a class A-I felony, one count
- Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-I felony, two counts
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, as class C felony, two counts
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a class D felony, four counts
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count
- Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count
The judge dismissed two terrorism charges on Tuesday, citing lack of sufficient evidence.
ABC News reported:
A judge dismissed two murder charges related to acts of terrorism as Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, made his first Manhattan courtroom appearance in five months on Tuesday.
Judge Gregory Carro tossed out the most severe charge, first-degree murder, accusing Mangione of murder as a crime of terrorism.
The judge said the evidence presented to the grand jury was insufficient to support the terrorism charge.
Carro also tossed a second-degree murder charge, related to killing as an act of terrorism.
The rest of the indictment remains, with the judge refusing to dismiss another second-degree murder charge, to which the accused killer has pleaded not guilty.
As previously reported, UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in the chest in December 2024 outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan in a targeted attack. Chilling surveillance video shows Luigi Mangione methodically getting into position as Brian Thompson walked in front of the Manhattan Hilton Hotel.
Mangione fired several rounds at Brian Thompson, causing him to stumble, before shooting him again.
Share your thoughts by scrolling down to leave a comment.
