Legal Firestorm Erupts: Accused CEO Killer's Lawyers Claim Prosecutors and NYC Mayor 'Fatally Prejudiced' His Case, Demand Charges Dropped

In a stunning legal maneuver that could upend one of the nation's most high-profile murder cases, defense attorneys for Luigi Mangione have filed a bombshell motion demanding a federal judge throw out all charges against him. Their explosive claim: state and federal officials, including New York City's own mayor, have so thoroughly poisoned the well of public opinion that a fair trial is now impossible.

Mangione stands accused of the brazen December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a crime that shocked the country. But his lawyers argued in a Saturday filing that the official response has been a calculated campaign to strip their client of his constitutional rights. The defense team alleges that prosecutors and Mayor Eric Adams engaged in conduct that has "fatally prejudiced this death penalty case."

At the heart of their argument is a press conference held in December, where officials laid out their case against Mangione to a national audience. The defense contends that in their rush to announce an arrest, authorities deliberately failed to mention a cornerstone of the American justice system: that Mangione, like any defendant, is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This omission, they argue, effectively declared him guilty in the court of public opinion before a trial could even begin.

This dramatic challenge comes just days after a New York state judge dismissed two terrorism-related charges against Mangione, narrowing the scope of the case. However, he still faces a formidable federal murder charge—one that could ultimately carry the death penalty. Recognizing the gravity of the potential sentence, Mangione's legal team is mounting a two-pronged attack, simultaneously asking the court to dismiss the case entirely or, failing that, to remove the death penalty as a sentencing option.

The motion puts the prosecution on the defensive, shifting the legal battle from the evidence against Mangione to the very conduct of the officials who charged him. As the case proceeds, the court must now weigh whether the intense media spotlight, amplified by official statements, has irrevocably damaged the defendant's chance for an impartial hearing. The decision could either halt the high-stakes prosecution in its tracks or allow it to proceed under a cloud of controversy.