A New York judge has dismissed two of the most serious charges against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, during his first Manhattan courtroom appearance in five months. The ruling, delivered Tuesday by Judge Gregory Carro, tossed out a first-degree murder charge tied to accusations of terrorism as well as a second-degree murder charge related to terrorism.
In his written decision, Judge Carro stated that the evidence presented to the grand jury did not meet the legal threshold required for terrorism-related charges. “While the defendant was clearly expressing an animus toward UHC, and the health care industry generally, it does not follow that his goal was to ‘intimidate and coerce a civilian population,’ and indeed, there was no evidence presented of such a goal,” Carro explained. Prosecutors had argued that Mangione’s actions intimidated and coerced employees of UnitedHealthcare, but Carro rejected that line of reasoning, clarifying that fear alone is not enough to sustain a terrorism charge under the law.
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Remaining Charges and Next Steps
Although the terrorism-related murder charges were dismissed, the remainder of the indictment stands. Judge Carro refused to drop another second-degree murder charge, to which Mangione has pleaded not guilty. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office issued a statement following the ruling, noting, “We respect the Court’s decision and will proceed on the remaining nine counts, including Murder in the Second Degree.”
Mangione still faces a series of other state charges. These include two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, and one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree.
During Tuesday’s brief court appearance, Mangione was dressed in beige jail-issued clothing over a brown T-shirt, with shackles on his wrists and ankles. He did not speak during the proceedings. Three rows of supporters for Mangione attended the hearing. His next scheduled hearing in New York is set for December 1.
Background of the Case
The charges stem from the December 4, 2024, killing of Brian Thompson on a Midtown Manhattan street. Authorities allege that Mangione used a 9 mm handgun equipped with a silencer to carry out the shooting. After a multi-day manhunt, Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
When police located him at a McDonald’s in Altoona, investigators reported finding a backpack containing the alleged murder weapon, a fake ID, and a red notebook believed to be his diary. According to law enforcement, one entry in the notebook read, “I finally feel confident about what I will do. The target is insurance. It checks every box.” Mangione’s defense attorneys have challenged the legality of the search, arguing that the police lacked a proper warrant to search the backpack.
Federal and State Proceedings
In addition to the state charges in New York, Mangione is also facing prosecution in Pennsylvania and federal court. In April, a federal grand jury indicted him on two counts of stalking, a firearms offense, and murder through the use of a firearm, which carries the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all state and federal charges. His attorneys have described his position as an “untenable situation” due to simultaneous prosecutions and have requested Judge Carro either dismiss the New York state case or place it on hold.
Prosecutors had hoped that Tuesday’s hearing would lead to the scheduling of a trial date, but instead, the proceedings focused on motions and rulings. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the Blair County District Attorney’s Office is requiring Mangione to appear for a pretrial motion hearing scheduled for November 7. He has pleaded not guilty there to charges including forgery, possession of an instrument of a crime, and providing a false ID to law enforcement.
Health Records Ruling
In a separate matter, Judge Carro granted Mangione a legal victory by blocking prosecutors from using certain health care records obtained from Aetna, his provider. The court did not rule on whether Mangione’s HIPAA rights had been violated, but Carro barred the use of the material. The district attorney’s office maintained that there was nothing improper about the subpoena, describing it as seeking “entirely unremarkable” information such as account numbers and coverage periods.
According to filings, prosecutors said they requested limited information, but Aetna mistakenly provided more extensive documents. They claimed they deleted the extra material immediately upon realizing the error and informed both the court and the defense. However, the situation was complicated further when the defense reportedly resent the same documents back to prosecutors, a detail highlighted by a source familiar with the subpoena.
Conclusion on the Case
The dismissal of terrorism-related murder charges significantly alters the scope of the prosecution against Luigi Mangione, but he continues to face serious counts of second-degree murder, weapons possession, and forgery. With federal and Pennsylvania cases also pending, Mangione remains at the center of multiple legal battles. His next hearings in both New York and Pennsylvania will be critical in shaping how these overlapping cases move forward.
