Attorney-General Pam Bondi is seeking the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who is charged with killing a health insurance CEO, but has emerged as a sort of folk hero in some circles. 
Calling the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson &ldquo;a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America&rdquo;, Bondi said, "I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case&rdquo;. She said it was in keeping with &ldquo;President Trump&rsquo;s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again&rdquo;. 
Bondi described the killing as &ldquo;an act of political violence&rdquo;. Mangione allegedly shot dead Thompson in front of a hotel in the middle of New York in December, driven by opposition to what he considered the way health insurance companies treat their clients. He is facing murder charges in a federal court, rather than in a New York court because federal prosecutors say he crossed state borders to carry out the crime. 
If he had been charged in a New York state court, he would not face the death penalty as the state has abolished it. In a break from the state party line, New York&rsquo;s Democrat Mayor Eric Adams said he respected the decision by federal officials to call for the death penalty, saying, &ldquo;It was a horrific act&rdquo;. 
In a manifesto about the attack, Mangione wrote that healthcare insurance companies have become too powerful and he was the first to face it with &ldquo;brutal honesty&rdquo;. "Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming. A reminder: The US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy&rdquo;. The companies &ldquo;have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit", he said. 
These statements by the Ivy League-educated computer geek touched a well of grievances among people who have had problems with healthcare insurance companies. People have been turning up outside courtrooms in a show of support for him. 
A legislation dubbed the "Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act&rdquo; seeking to limit the power of insurance companies to deny payments has been proposed for a referendum in California where laws can be enacted through popular vote.
A fund for his legal defence raised $722,000 by the end of last month. A note that was slipped into a pair of socks sent to him with clothes to wear in the courtroom said, &ldquo;Know there are thousands of people wishing you luck&rdquo;, a breach of regulations, according to court officials. 
When he turned up in court for a hearing in February, he wore a green sweater. Outside, his supporters wore green, either by coincidence or by prior arrangement, and prosecutor Joel Seidemann pointed out that his supporters were also wearing green.&nbsp;
&mdash;IANS

Courtroom scene with accused, judge, and attorneys

Health insurance CEO’s killer faces death penalty bid

US Attorney-General Seeks Death Penalty for Mangione

Health insurance CEO’s killer faces death penalty bid

April 2, 2025 | 21:56 IST