Former Ivy League computer scientist——Suspected corporate assassin Experts say he likely will not face federal charges, avoiding any risk of the death penalty because New York does not have the death penalty.
Murder is generally not a crime under federal jurisdiction except under certain circumstances. Hiring a hitman to commit a murder-for-hire across state lines is a federal crime, but crossing state lines yourself to commit a murder is not.
Luigi MangioneThe 26-year-old faces a second-degree murder charge in New York state in connection with the ambush and shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 at the Manhattan Hilton Hotel Shot dead by a masked assassin outside.
"It's possible that Mangione could be charged with federal charges, but it's unlikely," said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who now runs a private practice in Los Angeles. “This case has attracted a lot of attention and there’s no telling what Trump’s Department of Justice will do, but federal prosecution requires federal jurisdiction, such as the commission of another federal crime or a substantial connection to interstate commerce.”
Trump slams UnitedHealth CEO for supporting murder suspect
On December 10, 2024, Luigi Mangione was restrained by police as he arrived at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, for an extradition hearing. (David Di Delgado, Fox News Digital)
The office of Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks has said it plans to move forward with the case against Mangione but will allow New York to prioritize more serious charges.
"The prosecution will likely be handled within the United States by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg," Rahmani said.
Former FBI agent Nicole Parker said the FBI often gets involved because they believe harsher penalties are necessary or because they can provide more resources than local departments. But she said the NYPD was well-equipped and had built a strong case.
"The NYPD is strong and they're going to handle this vigorously," she told Fox News Digital. "The question is the prosecutor. Will Alvin Bragg go easy on this guy?"
Bragg, who has faced criticism for his priorities and political views following his loss in the manslaughter case of Marine Corps veteran Daniel Penny, hopes his office will make a strong case against Mangione. accusation. Investigators are said to have matched his fingerprints and weapons to the murder scene.
"My personal view is that this should be handled by the NYPD; they charge locally. This is a solid case, they did everything they could, and I think they're going to get a very strong outcome," she said.
new york The death penalty ended twenty years ago.
UnitedHealthcare CEO's suspected assassin compared to UN bomber
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group)
"New York outlawed the death penalty 20 years ago, so the death penalty was not an option there," Rahmani said. "But even if Mangione was charged federally, the only aggravating factor in favor of the death penalty is that the murder involved a substantial amount of planning and premeditation. ”
The death penalty is usually reserved for the most serious criminal cases. He said even if the state imposed the death penalty, there were no other aggravating circumstances in the case, such as additional victims, the defendant's criminal history or the murder occurring during the commission of another felony.
Luigi Mangione (Obtained by Fox News Digital Channel)
"This was not an act of terrorism or a similarly heinous crime," he said. "In addition to all the attention it gets, this wouldn't normally be a death penalty case."
The bottom line is that the federal government rarely seeks the death penalty, but it does do so in cases of extreme violence, such as the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three people and injured hundreds. Prosecutors can use it as leverage to obtain a confession.
Sending a bomb through the mail, like that of college bomber Ted Kaczynski, is also a federal crime. He committed suicide in prison last year while serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Justice Department records show the federal government has executed 16 people since 2001, starting with the death of the Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh Eight days later, American drug trafficker Juan Raul Garza killed two men and executed a third himself.
The suspected gunman in the murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson is believed to be Luigi Mangione, with surveillance footage showing him flirting with a hotel employee before the Dec. 4 shooting . (NYPD)
Notably, 13 of these executions occurred during President Trump’s first term. He returns to the White House next month and says he will Expand the scope of the death penalty.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, 40 federal inmates are currently on death row. Death Penalty Information CenterThe list includes surviving Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Dylann Roof, who massacred nine parishioners at a South Carolina church.
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Rahmani added that the change of hands from the Biden-Harris administration to the second Trump administration could also hamper potential federal cases.
He said: "Another problem is that Trump's new U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York will not be confirmed and sworn in for more than a month at the earliest, and by then the Manhattan District Attorney's Office will be well-positioned to handle the case." "Under the Department of Justice's 'minor policy,' federal prosecutors will not intervene in pending state cases unless there is a significant federal interest that has not been proven in a state prosecution."