Luigi Mangione won't pursue psychiatric defense at murder trial
Defense attorneys for Luigi Mangione are now withdrawing plans to argue at his state murder trial that he was suffering from "extreme emotional disturbance" in the alleged killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, according to reports.
The development came just a day after Mangione’s lawyers told Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro that they planned to argue that Mangione had lost control of his actions due to an extreme mental health crisis. In a letter to Carro on June 18, the lawyers said they were "at this time" withdrawing his psychiatric defense, Reuters and The Associated Press reported.
Under New York law, murder defendants can seek to convince a jury that their actions can be explained by an "extreme emotional disturbance" that reduces their criminal culpability. Carro would ultimately decide at trial whether there was enough evidence for the murder charge to be reduced.
Carro previously said he will unseal records related to the psychiatric defense, although Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, argued doing so would impact the federal case against him, the AP reported.
The judge also dismissed a criminal charge related to possession of a large capacity ammunition magazine, according to Reuters and ABC News. The development came after the judge ruled in May that evidence found during an initial search of Mangione's backpack must be suppressed, including a magazine, cell phone, passport and wallet.
Carro also ruled that key evidence, including a gun and a red notebook, uncovered during a subsequent search of the backpack, could be used at trial. Prosecutors said the notebook contains diary entries written by Mangione that shed light on his decision to target the healthcare executive.
Mangione, 28, is accused of fatally shooting Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel in New York City in December 2024. He was taken into custody at a Pennsylvania McDonald's after a five-day manhunt.
He was arrested and charged with nine felony counts, including second-degree murder, in New York state court. Mangione's New York state trial is expected to begin in September. He faces separate charges in Pennsylvania and in federal court.
Timeline of Luigi Mangione case
Thompson was fatally shot in the early morning on Dec. 4, 2024, outside a hotel where he was set to speak at an investment conference, according to authorities. The shooting prompted a massive law enforcement response and investigation.
Surveillance footage and forensic evidence linked the suspect to the scene, including DNA and ballistics recovered by investigators. Mangione was arrested five days later, on Dec. 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after being recognized by an employee who recognized Mangione from images that were released by the New York Police Department, authorities said.
Police officials said they have since matched the gun found in Mangione's possession to casings discovered outside the hotel where Thompson was fatally shot. Investigators also matched Mangione’s fingerprints to those found on a water bottle and a protein bar wrapper near the scene of the killing, officials said.
In December 2024, Mangione pleaded not guilty to state murder, weapons and forgery charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Separately, he pleaded not guilty in April 2025 to federal murder, weapons and stalking charges.
Murder case draws widespread attention
The killing of Thompson and the arrest of Mangione incited both worry among corporate executives and vitriol against the U.S. health care system.
In the wake of Thompson's death, companies announced they were evaluating security measures, canceling in-person events, and scrubbing their websites of top executives’ biographies and photographs.
In April 2025, police arrested an armed man outside UnitedHealthcare's headquarters in Minnesota after he made "threats of violence" before eventually surrendering to law enforcement. In February 2025, prosecutors in Florida dropped charges against a woman who allegedly threatened a health insurance provider using the words “Delay, deny, depose," the same as those on shell casings found near Thompson's body.
Mangione's court proceedings have drawn many fans, with some expressing support for his legal battles and even writing him heart-shaped notes. Earlier this year, a pizzeria worker was accused of posing as an FBI agent and after he tried to bust Mangione out of jail.
Contributing: Christopher Cann and Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY; Reuters