This week, Luigi Mangion, accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last year, received a slight reprieve as a judge dismissed one of the charges against him. According to former Chief Assistant US Attorney Andrew McCarthy, this development was discussed on the “Glenbeck Program” Tuesday morning.
Judge Gregory Caro dropped the terrorism charges, stating that “no evidence has been presented” indicating that Mangion violated the state’s terrorism laws.
“I just think murder is not a trivial thing to say it’s not a terrorist crime,” he noted, highlighting the serious nature of the accusations.
New York law defines terrorism as actions intended to intimidate or coerce civilians or influence government policy through murder or assassination. The judge acknowledged that while Mangion had made statements concerning UHC, there was no evidence suggesting a goal of “blackmail and forcing civilians.” Notably, federal prosecutors did not charge Mangion with terrorism.
However, Judge Caro affirmed that there was substantial evidence indicating that Mangion killed Brian Thompson in a “planned and calculated execution,” meaning that the second-degree murder charges remain, carrying a potential penalty of 15 years in prison.
McCarthy explained, “To prove terrorism, we must prove intent to blackmail or force civilians beyond reasonable doubt.” He noted that the actions seemed narrowly targeted at the healthcare executive rather than the healthcare industry as a whole.
He further clarified why Mangion faces second-degree rather than first-degree murder charges, referencing an effort in the 1990s, led by then-New York Governor George Pataki, to revise capital murder laws aiming to reinstate the death penalty. This attempt resulted in only certain crimes being classified as first-degree murder.
Thus, based on New York law, Mangion’s case doesn’t meet the criteria for first-degree murder. If found guilty in federal court, it’s possible he could face the death penalty.
