NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione plans to pursue a psychiatric defense in his upcoming state murder trial stemming from the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
During a court hearing Wednesday, Judge Gregory Carro said defense attorneys notified the court that they intend to argue Mangione was experiencing an “extreme emotional disturbance” at the time of the shooting.
If a jury accepts that defense, Mangione could be committed to a psychiatric treatment facility rather than sentenced to prison.
The ruling follows a closed-door hearing held earlier this month at the request of defense attorneys. Carro said records related to that hearing and the defense’s request will be unsealed.
Mangione appeared in court Wednesday wearing a blue suit and light-colored dress shirt. His state murder trial is currently scheduled to begin Sept. 8.
The 28-year-old has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges connected to the Dec. 4, 2024, killing of Thompson in Manhattan. A separate federal trial involving stalking-related charges is set to begin Oct. 13.
Authorities allege Thompson, 50, was shot and killed while walking to a hotel where UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual investor conference. Investigators say words written on ammunition recovered from the scene echoed a phrase often associated with criticism of the health insurance industry.
Mangione, who comes from a prominent Maryland family and attended an Ivy League university, was arrested several days later at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Earlier court rulings allowed prosecutors to introduce a 3D-printed firearm and personal notebook into evidence. Prosecutors contend the weapon matches the gun used in the shooting and that notes found in the notebook expressed hostility toward health insurance executives.
On Wednesday, Carro also dismissed a weapons-related charge connected to a magazine found during an initial search of Mangione’s backpack after determining the evidence could not be used at trial.
