Manhattan DA fights to keep murder case against Luigi Mangione alive despite federal plea

Manhattan prosecutors have submitted a 49-page brief urging the court to deny Luigi Mangione's request to dismiss the state murder indictment stemming from the Dec. 4, 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The defense claims Mangione's recent federal guilty plea to two stalking counts triggers double jeopardy, but the DA argues the federal offenses differ fundamentally, focusing on creating fear rather than proving intent to kill.

The brief stresses that the state murder charge requires both intent and proximate causation, unlike the federal stalking provision. Additionally, prosecutors contend the state gun charge should remain because Mangione has not faced a separate federal weapons prosecution. The district had previously asserted primary jurisdiction, noting Mangione was in state custody before federal authorities. Justice Gregory Carro will decide on the motion on Dec. 10, and Mangione faces a possible life sentence in federal court on Dec. 18.