NEW YORK: Lawyers for Luigi Mangione asked a New York federal judge Saturday to dismiss some criminal charges, including the only count for which he could face the death penalty, from a federal indictment brought against him in the December assassination of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive.
In papers filed in Manhattan federal court, the lawyers said prosecutors should also be prevented from using at trial his statements to law enforcement officers and his backpack where a gun and ammunition were found.
They said Mangione was not read his rights before he was questioned by law enforcement officers, who arrested him after Brian Thompson was fatally shot as he arrived at a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference.
They added that officers did not obtain a warrant before searching Mangione’s backpack.
Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges in the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 as he arrived at a Manhattan hotel for his company’s annual investor conference.
The killing set off a multi-state search after the suspected shooter slipped away from the scene and rode a bike to Central Park, before taking a taxi to a bus depot that offers service to several nearby states.
Five days later, a tip from a McDonald’s about 233 miles (375 kilometers) away in Altoona, Pennsylvania, led police to arrest Mangione. He has been held without bail since then.
Last month, lawyers for Mangione asked that his federal charges be dismissed and the death penalty be taken off the table as a result of public comments by US Attorney General Pam Bondi. In April, Bondi directed prosecutors in New York to seek the death penalty, calling the killing of Thompson a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”
Murder cases are usually tried in state courts, but prosecutors have also charged Mangione under a federal law on murders committed with firearms as part of other “crimes of violence.” It’s the only charge for which Mangione could face the death penalty, since it’s not used in New York state.
The papers filed early Saturday morning argued that this charge should be dismissed because prosecutors have failed to identify the other offenses that would be required to convict him, saying that the alleged other crime — stalking — is not a crime of violence.
The assassination and its aftermath has captured the American imagination, setting off a cascade of resentment and online vitriol toward US health insurers while rattling corporate executives concerned about security.
After the killing, investigators found the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” written in permanent marker on ammunition at the scene. The words mimic a phrase used by insurance industry critics.
![]()
Luigi Mangione’s lawyers seek dismissal of federal charges in assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO
Short Url
https://arab.news/8nkfb
Luigi Mangione’s lawyers seek dismissal of federal charges in assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO
- Lawyers for Luigi Mangione say a New York federal judge should dismiss criminal charges, including a death-eligible count, from a federal indictment brought against him
Trump favorite reclaims narrow lead in Honduras presidential vote
TEGUCIGALPA: A right-wing Honduran presidential candidate backed by Donald Trump reclaimed a narrow lead over his rival Thursday on the fourth day of a plodding vote count.
With over 86 percent of the votes counted, the race was still too early to call.
Trump-backed businessman Nasry Asfura was leading with 40.24 percent compared to 39.41 percent for fellow right-winger and TV personality Salvador Nasralla, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The CNE has come under fire from the US president after announcing Monday that a partial count showed the two men locked in a “technical tie.”
CNE chief Ana Paola Hall said Thursday that the electoral body was entering into the system records that could not be transmitted on election day.
“All of this will complete... the final count to 100 percent,” said Hall, who asked the candidates for patience as the count continues.
“Haste is sometimes the enemy of legitimacy,” she added.
The CNE has vowed that the end result will “scrupulously respect the popular will.”
Trump, who routinely casts doubt on the integrity of elections whose results he disapproves of, accused Honduran authorities of “trying to change” the results, and threatened there would be “hell to pay” if they did.
Late Thursday, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau amplified Trump’s message, posting on X that “democracy is on trial” in the Honduran election and calling on all parties to “uphold the independence” of the CNE to ensure transparency.
“The world’s eyes, including ours, are on Honduras,” he added.
Honduras is one of Latin America’s most impoverished and violent countries, and many citizens have fled north to the United States to escape those hardships, including minors fearing forced recruitment by gangs.
On Tuesday, the CNE said ballots were still coming in from remote areas — some only accessible by donkey or boat — and the declaration of a winner may still be days away.
The CNE, which has frequently been accused by parties of political favoritism, legally has one month to announce a winner.
Honduran presidential elections are determined in one round, with a simple plurality needed to win.
- ‘Friend of freedom’ -
Trump supports 67-year-old businessman Asfura, whom he has called a “friend of freedom,” while accusing 72-year-old Nasralla of merely “pretending to be an anti-communist.”
Trump has become increasingly vocal in his support for allies in the region, having threatened to cut aid to Argentina and Honduras if his picks did not win.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei, a close Trump ally, was victorious in his country’s midterm elections.
Whatever the outcome in Honduras, Sunday’s vote was a clear defeat for ruling leftists.
Honduras’s swing to the right will likely boost US influence in a country that under the last government had increasingly looked to China.
Trump has also granted a pardon to Juan Orlando Hernandez, a former president from Asfura’s National Party who had been serving a 45-year sentence in the United States for drug trafficking.
The 57-year-old lawyer was released Monday in what was widely perceived as more interference.
With over 86 percent of the votes counted, the race was still too early to call.
Trump-backed businessman Nasry Asfura was leading with 40.24 percent compared to 39.41 percent for fellow right-winger and TV personality Salvador Nasralla, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The CNE has come under fire from the US president after announcing Monday that a partial count showed the two men locked in a “technical tie.”
CNE chief Ana Paola Hall said Thursday that the electoral body was entering into the system records that could not be transmitted on election day.
“All of this will complete... the final count to 100 percent,” said Hall, who asked the candidates for patience as the count continues.
“Haste is sometimes the enemy of legitimacy,” she added.
The CNE has vowed that the end result will “scrupulously respect the popular will.”
Trump, who routinely casts doubt on the integrity of elections whose results he disapproves of, accused Honduran authorities of “trying to change” the results, and threatened there would be “hell to pay” if they did.
Late Thursday, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau amplified Trump’s message, posting on X that “democracy is on trial” in the Honduran election and calling on all parties to “uphold the independence” of the CNE to ensure transparency.
“The world’s eyes, including ours, are on Honduras,” he added.
Honduras is one of Latin America’s most impoverished and violent countries, and many citizens have fled north to the United States to escape those hardships, including minors fearing forced recruitment by gangs.
On Tuesday, the CNE said ballots were still coming in from remote areas — some only accessible by donkey or boat — and the declaration of a winner may still be days away.
The CNE, which has frequently been accused by parties of political favoritism, legally has one month to announce a winner.
Honduran presidential elections are determined in one round, with a simple plurality needed to win.
- ‘Friend of freedom’ -
Trump supports 67-year-old businessman Asfura, whom he has called a “friend of freedom,” while accusing 72-year-old Nasralla of merely “pretending to be an anti-communist.”
Trump has become increasingly vocal in his support for allies in the region, having threatened to cut aid to Argentina and Honduras if his picks did not win.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei, a close Trump ally, was victorious in his country’s midterm elections.
Whatever the outcome in Honduras, Sunday’s vote was a clear defeat for ruling leftists.
Honduras’s swing to the right will likely boost US influence in a country that under the last government had increasingly looked to China.
Trump has also granted a pardon to Juan Orlando Hernandez, a former president from Asfura’s National Party who had been serving a 45-year sentence in the United States for drug trafficking.
The 57-year-old lawyer was released Monday in what was widely perceived as more interference.
Latest updates
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.