21 October 2025 , 20:49
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Accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione caught a big break when a judge issued a shocking ruling – dropping terrorism charges in his case involving the cold-blooded sidewalk gun-down of UnitedHealthcare exec Brian Thompson.
In a bombshell September 16 decision, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Gregory Carro let the handsome, 27-year-old Ivy League grad off the hook by axing New York state charges of murder in the first degree as an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism.
However, the former University of Pennsylvania student, who claims to be a warrior against corporate greed, can still be tossed in the slammer for 25 years to life in the state case and possibly face execution in the federal case if found guilty.
Judge Carro nixed the terrorism charges, saying: "The People presented sufficient evidence that the defendant murdered Brian Thompson in a premeditated and calculated execution. That does not mean, however, that the defendant did so with terroristic intent.
"The defendant’s apparent objective, as stated in his writings, was not to threaten, intimidate, or coerce, but rather, to draw attention to what he perceived as the greed of the insurance industry."
The handsome heir to a wealthy Baltimore family, Mangione was supported in court by about two dozen observers, mostly young female fans.
The dropped charges come as no surprise to veteran defense lawyer Ron Kuby, who claimed that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had "wildly overcharged" Mangione because the terrorism charges were headline-grabbers.
Bragg insisted Mangione was a terrorist because he intended the murder to "intimidate or coerce a civilian population."
Security cams caught the shocking December 4, 2024, murder showing Thompson walking toward the New York Hilton Midtown hotel at 6:44 a.m. and being shot from behind in the back and leg by a man – allegedly Mangione – who had seemingly been lying in ambush, armed with a Glock-like handgun.
Seeking The Death Penalty
Bragg’s office said it "respects" the judge’s charge-dropping decision.
Meanwhile, Mangione has a December 5 hearing in federal court where U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is expected to ask for the death penalty.
World Affairs Correspondent