The case of Luigi Mangione just took an unexpected turn, with the 27-year-old being cleared of two major charges in the trial of the alleged murderer. Mangione is currently standing trial for the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot at the end of last year.
While most of the world is currently focused on the September 10 shooting of Charlie Kirk, others are looking back at Thompson's December 4 shooting when he was gunned down in the middle of New York City.
Similar to the manhunt for Kirk's killer, a multiagency effort led to Luigi Mangione being named as the supposed assassin. Whereas Matt Robinson is said to have turned his son in, Mangione was apprehended at a Pennsylvania McDonald's some five days after Thompson's shooting.
Mangione's motives have never been clear, although engraved bullet casings reading “delay,” “deny”, and “depose” were found alongside a three-page manifesto, as well as a potential spinal condition all pointing to why he might've targeted Thompson.
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Mangione was originally indicted on 11 New York state charges in December 2024, with him also facing four federal crimes. He was arraigned in the New York Supreme Court and pleaded not guilty to his state charges before being formally indicted on his federal charges in April 2025.
Jump forward to September 2025, and a New York judge has dismissed two terror charges against Mangione. Both murder in the first degree in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism were found to be 'legally insufficient'.
While Mangione still faces one count of murder in the second degree, his defense argued that terror charges should be dropped because New York state legislation describes it as an attack on multiple civilians rather than the shooting of just one.
Explaining the decision, Judge Gregory Carro wrote: "While the People place great emphasis on defendant’s ‘ideological’ motive, there is no indication in the statute that a murder committed for ideological reasons (in this case, the defendant’s apparent desire to draw attention to what he perceived as inequities or greed within the American health care system), fits within the definition of terrorism without establishing the necessary element of an in tent to intimidate or coerce."
Mangione's defense sought to dismiss the murder indictment because he faces federal charges for the same killing, with the team also asking the judge to suppress evidence that was seized during his arrest, as well as statements he made to authorities.
With the state's case going first, the defense has argued against this because the penalty is 'less serious' than the potential federal death sentence. A defence motion also claims the district attorney's office and federal prosecutors are “colluding to obstruct Mr. Mangione’s ability to meaningfully defend himself.”
Scenes outside the Manhattan courthouse saw Mangione supporters dressed in green overalls to honor Luigi from the Mario games. Mangione has become something of a political poster boy, with a fundraiser in his honor having racked up over $1.2 million in donations.
Still, Mangione faces a possible life sentence if he's convicted in New York state court, with the Justice Department previously confirming it will seek the death penalty in its federal murder case against him.