NEW YORK — A New York judge threw out terrorism charges Tuesday against Luigi Mangione, rejecting the Manhattan district attorney's theory in a state case that the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was "intended to evoke terror."

Judge Gregory Carro kept other charges in place, including a second-degree murder count that requires prosecutors to prove Mangione intended to kill Thompson but not that he did so as an act of terrorism.

The ruling eliminated the top two charges in Mangione's state case, sparing him the possibility of a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. The 27-year-old faces a parallel federal death penalty prosecution.

In a written decision, the judge said while there isn't any doubt that Thompson's killing last December was no ordinary s

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