US prosecutors to seek death penalty for Luigi Mangione after he was accused of killing healthcare CEO Brian Thompson

US prosecutors are set to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who stands accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on 4 December, 2024.

Today (2 April), Attorney General Pam Bondi released the following statement: “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors 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.”

The AG memorandum further reads: "Since our Nation's founding, the federal government, and nearly every state, has relied upon the death penalty as a just punishment for the most egregious crimes.

"The American people, through their elected representatives, have repeatedly reaffirmed the effectiveness of capital punishment in deterring crime, achieving justice for victims, and closure for their loved ones."

"At the federal level, the Department of Justice is charged with determining whether to seek death sentences for certain federal crimes and, when imposed, carrying out those sentences. This is among the Department's most serious and solemn responsibilities."

It continued: "Going forward, the Department of Justice will once again act as the law demands-including by seeking death sentences in appropriate cases and swiftly implementing those sentences in accordance with the law.

"Pursuant to President Trump's Executive Order, federal prosecutors at the Department, including at U.S. Attorney's Offices, shall seek the death penalty - if that is a penalty proscribed by Congress-for the most serious, readily provable offenses, and if doing so is consistent with the relevant statutory considerations and other applicable regulations and Department of Justice guidance.

"Absent significant mitigating circumstances, federal prosecutors are expected to seek the death penalty in cases involving the murder of a law-enforcement officer and capital crimes committed by aliens who are illegally present in the United States."