NEW YORK COURT DECIDES: Terrorism charge dismissed against “smiling killer” Luigi Mangione! (VIDEO)

A hearing was held in New York in the case of the murder of Brian Thompson, and the judge dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione.

The judge dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in the state of New York in connection with the murder of “United Healthcare” CEO Brian Thompson, but upheld charges of second-degree murder.

In a written explanation, Judge Gregory Caro stated that, although there is no doubt the murder was not an ordinary street crime, New York law does not qualify something as terrorism simply because it is ideologically motivated.

“Although the defendant clearly expressed hostility toward the company and the healthcare industry in general, that does not mean his goal was ‘to intimidate and coerce the civilian population,’ and in fact there was no evidence such a goal existed,” Caro wrote.

An event that attracted public attention

The judge scheduled hearings for December 1, a few days before Mangione is due to appear before federal court.

During Mangione’s first appearance in state court in New York in February, he was dressed in a beige prison uniform, with handcuffs and shackles on his hands and feet.

The 27-year-old Ivy League graduate attracted followers as a symbol of dissatisfaction with the healthcare industry. His supporters had attended previous hearings, often dressed in the green outfit of the video game character Luigi as a sign of solidarity.

At today’s hearing, one fan wore a T-shirt reading “Free Luigi,” while some supporters outside the courthouse applauded and welcomed the news of the dismissed terrorism charges.

Details of the charges and arrest

Mangione had earlier pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism, in connection with the December 4, 2024, killing.

Surveillance footage showed a masked assailant shooting Thompson as he headed to an investors’ conference at the New York Hilton Midtown hotel.

Police stated that the bullets were inscribed with the words “delay, deny, depose,” imitating phrases used by insurance companies to avoid paying clients.

Mangione was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 370 kilometers west of New York, and has since been held in the same federal prison in Brooklyn as Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Double jeopardy dispute

Mangione’s lawyers argue that the state case and the parallel federal death penalty trial represent double jeopardy. Judge Caro dismissed that argument, stating it was too early to make such a decision.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said there was no double jeopardy issue because neither case had yet gone to trial and that the state and federal indictments involve different legal theories.

The defense argued that “legal disputes create legal chaos” that prevents simultaneous defense.

Motive and defendant’s writings

The state claims that Mangione wanted “to intimidate or coerce the civilian population,” namely employees and investors in insurance companies. The federal charges focus on the persecution of Thompson and do not include allegations of a terrorist attack.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in April that federal prosecutors were seeking the death penalty for an “act of political violence” and a “murder that shocked America.”

The prosecution, in its filing, cited Mangione’s handwritten journals, highlighting his desire to kill the CEO of a health insurance company and his praise of Ted Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber.

In the writings, Mangione expressed rebellion against the “deadly, greed-driven health insurance cartel” and claimed the killing of the CEO “shows a greedy bastard who deserved it.”

He also wrote a confession to “allies” saying “this had to be done.”

The prosecution emphasized that his actions clearly demonstrated intent, and his writings made that intent explicitly clear.

The texts, described as a manifesto, send a single clear message — that the murder of Brian Thompson was meant to provoke “revolutionary change in the healthcare industry.”