A judge in New York has dismissed two terror-related murder charges against Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused of fatally shooting former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
According to the judge’s ruling on Tuesday, the now-dismissed charges were “legally insufficient.”
Mangione still faces a count of murder in the second degree, to which he has plead not guilty.
“There is no indication in the statute that a murder committed for ideological reasons (in this case, the defendant’s apparent desire to draw attention to what he perceived as inequities or greed within the American health care system), fits within the definition of ‘terrorism’ without establishing the necessary element of an intent to intimidate or coerce,” wrote Judge Gregory Carro wrote in his decision.
Hearings for the case are set to start on Dec. 1.
Read More: What We Know About Luigi Mangione, Arrested in Connection with UHC CEO Killing
In December 2024, Mangione was charged with the murder of Thompson, 50, who was shot on Dec. 4 by a masked assailant in front of a Manhattan hotel with a 9 mm handgun as he was heading to UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference.
The Justice Department previously described the murder as a premeditated attack. Mangione allegedly “stalked his victim for days before murdering him—methodically planning when, where, and how to carry out his crime.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office had strongly argued in favor of the terrorism charge given the shooting against a high-level executive of the country’s largest health insurance company.
Mangione was taken into custody in Altoona, Penn. on Dec. 9 after a five-day manhunt. Authorities found Mangione at a fast-food restaurant and recovered a handgun allegedly similar to the one used in the shooting, a silencer, and a three-page manifesto in his backpack. Attorneys representing Mangione argued that the police acted without a warrant, making their search illegal.
Mangione still faces federal charges related to stalking, discharging a firearm with a silencer, and using a firearm to commit murder. The maximum penalties for some of the charges are life in prison or the death penalty, the latter of which Attorney General Pam Bondi directed prosecutors to pursue.
Mangione also faces charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested, in relation to forgery, giving a fake ID to an officer, and possession of an instrument of crime.
Prior to the 2024 incident, Mangione reportedly shared information on Reddit about a number of health issues, including struggles with back pain, brain fog, and twitching leg muscles. He went on to share about the success of his spinal fusion surgery in July 2023. On a separate Reddit thread, he said he had undergone testing related to irritable bowel syndrome, which was covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield. Mangione did not reference insurance coverage in any other Reddit posts, according to a review by the New York Times.
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