In brief
Luigi Mangione’s lawyers announced that they would no longer pursue a psychiatric defence, after having previously told the judge that he was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the shooting. The decision was made ahead of a Thursday deadline to present evidence to prosecutors. If the defence had been pursued, Mangione could have faced a manslaughter conviction with a lighter sentence. The case stems from the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan in December 2024, and Mangione also faces federal stalking charges that could lead to life imprisonment.
Mangione’s Legal Team Withdraws Psychiatric Defence Plan
Lawyers for Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, will no longer argue a psychiatric defence in his state murder trial.
They had told Judge Gregory Carro that they would attempt to show Mangione was suffering from “extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the occurrence.”
Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty in both the federal and state cases for the fatal shooting of Thompson in Midtown Manhattan at the end of 2024.
The withdrawal came before a Thursday deadline for Mangione’s team to provide prosecutors with information supporting a psychiatric defence claim.
If the psychiatric defence had been pursued and accepted by a jury, Mangione could have faced a manslaughter conviction instead of murder, potentially reducing his sentence.
Using a psychiatric defence would essentially admit killing Thompson with mitigating circumstances, legal expert Richard Schoenstein explained. This differs from pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, which seeks exoneration and treatment in a psychiatric facility rather than prison.
Mangione appeared in court on Wednesday as the judge discussed his planned psychiatric defence.
His next court date is scheduled for 11 August, before the state trial begins on 8 September.
Mangione is also facing federal stalking charges that can bring a maximum sentence of life in prison.
He was arrested days after Thompson, a 50‑year‑old father of two, was shot from behind by a masked gunman on 4 December 2024 as he walked into a Manhattan hotel for an annual investor conference.
