Luigi Mangione case: Does New York have the death penalty?

“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,“ read a statement issued by Pan Bondi on Tuesday morning.

“After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again,” the statement continued.

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Does New York have the death penalty?

Luigi Mangione, 26, is facing separate federal and state murder charges for the killing of 50-year-old Brian Thompson, who was shot and killed on a Manhattan street on December 4. Five days later, Mangione was identified and arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to New York state charges of murder, terrorism and weapons charges. If convicted, Mangione could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, New York does not have the death penalty for state charges.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the New York Court of Appeals declared the state’s death penalty law unconstitutional in 2004. Since then, efforts to reinstate it have been unsuccessful. In 2008, Governor David Paterson issued an executive order mandating the removal of all execution equipment from state facilities.

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Meanwhile, in addition to the state charges, Mangione faces a parallel federal indictment in Manhattan federal court for the murder of Thompson. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty in the federal case. He has not yet entered a plea to the federal charges.