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A federal judge has dismissed the murder and weapons charges against Luigi Mangione, who was accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. These charges, which could have carried the death penalty, were dropped on the grounds that they did not qualify as crimes of violence, effectively removing the possibility of a death sentence in this case. However, Mangione still faces federal stalking charges, and his trial is tentatively scheduled to start in October 2026, following jury selection in September of that year.
In a related development, there is a movement to pursue state-level murder charges against Mangione, which could add another layer of legal challenges for him.
In an unusual twist, a Minnesota man was arrested after attempting to free Mangione from a federal jail in New York. Mark Anderson allegedly posed as an FBI agent and claimed he had a court order to secure Mangione’s release. During the incident, Anderson purportedly stated that he was armed. Upon inspection, authorities found a barbecue fork and a steel blade resembling a pizza cutter in the bag he was carrying.
Also happening surrounding Mangione: a Minnesota man is arrested after trying to break the accused killer free. Mark Anderson reportedly presented himself at a New York federal jail claiming to be an FBI agent. He said he had a court order to release Mangione.
Anderson also allegedly said he had weapons on him. Inside a bag he was carrying, he had a barbecue fork and a circular steel blade that resembled a pizza cutter.
[Feature Photo: Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court for an evidence hearing, Thursday , Dec. 18, 2025, in New York. (Shannon Stapleton/Pool Photo via AP)]