Death penalty sought for suspect in UnitedHealth CEO killing

Prosecutors in the US are seeking the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man detained in connection with the assassination of UnitedHealth chief executive Brian Thompson, if convicted.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said that Thompson's murder on 4th December last year was "a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America," adding that she has "directed Acting US Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump's agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again."

Mangione was charged with first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism late last year on the allegations that he stalked and murdered Thompson in an act of political violence, having developed a grievance against the US insurance-based healthcare system.

The decision to seek the death penalty marks a major escalation in the case and comes after a wave of sympathy and support was voiced for Mangione online among those furious about the insurance-based for-profit model used in the US, with many people sharing their own stories of claims being arbitrarily dismissed.

The words "deny", "defend", and "depose" were written on shell casings found at the scene of Thompson's murder,, leading to speculation that this could be a reference to the three Ds – delay, deny, and defend – that are part of a playbook used by health insurance companies to deny claims.

Bondi said the death penalty was warranted because the evidence – including a notebook in which he expressed hostility towards health insurance companies and executives – points to "substantial planning and premeditation."

Moreover, because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, it "may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons," she added.

Mangione is facing both state and federal charges in connection with the slaying. He has pleaded not guilty to the state charges – which have a maximum penalty of life imprisonment – but has not entered a plea to the federal charges.

His defence lawyer - Karen Friedman Agnifilo – released a statement condemning the Department of Justice's decision to try to have Mangione executed.

"By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric," she said.

"Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent. By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorise the American people."