A New York state judge on Tuesday, September 16 decided to drop the terrorism-related charges against Luigi Mangione in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
However, Mangione, who is accused of gunning down Thompson on a busy Manhattan street in December last year, is still being prosecuted for second-degree murder.
During the hearing, Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges.
As per multiple reports, the terrorism-related charges were dropped because prosecutors did not present enough evidence to justify the killing as an act of terrorism.
"There was no evidence presented that the defendant made any demands of government or sought any particular governmental policy change, let alone that he did so by intimidation or coercion," the judge wrote in his ruling.
Mangione avoided the harsher first-degree charge that could have put him in prison for life without parole.
But since Mangione still faces the second-degree murder charge, he is now at risk of at least 15 to 25 years in prison if found guilty, along with other additional penalties for the weapons and forgery charges.
Not only this, Mangione is also facing a separate federal murder case that could result in the death penalty if convicted.
Meanwhile, the judge refused his lawyer's request to postpone the state trial until the federal trial is over.
The judge set December 1 as the start date for Mangione's trail.