Luigi Mangione, the suspect indicted on murder charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, will now face federal charges that could result in the death penalty, the New York Times reported Wednesday night.
It was not immediately clear what charges the suspect would face in the federal case, but they will be added to the New York state murder charge, the report added, citing people familiar with the matter.
The federal charges would potentially allow prosecutors to pursue the death penalty, which has been banned in New York for decades, according to the report.
The U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the state case against him, Mangione was formally charged with 11 counts, including first-degree murder and murder as a terrorism offense.
He would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of all of these charges.
Mangione was charged with murder in the Dec. 9 shooting of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel before a UnitedHealthcare conference, following a five-day search.
Thompson’s murder set off a wave of anger among Americans who struggle to receive and pay for medical care.
Mangione suffered from chronic back pain that affected his daily life, according to friends and social media posts. It is unclear whether his own health played any role in the murder.
This content was originally published in Suspected killer of UnitedHealth CEO will face federal charges, reports NYT on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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