Mangione’s Lawyers Pull Back Psychiatric Defence in State Murder Trial

Luigi Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty in both federal and state cases stemming from the December 2024 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson. The Manhattan defendant’s lawyers had planned a psychiatric defence at a recent hearing, arguing that he suffered from an “extreme emotional disturbance” at the time of the incident, a claim that could have shifted a murder conviction to manslaughter.

Yet, a day after the judge’s briefing, the attorneys notified the court that they would no longer pursue the psychiatric strategy. The reversal came before a looming Thursday deadline that required the defense to provide prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney’s office with supporting evidence for the psychiatric claim.

Using a psychiatric defence would have effectively admitted that Mangione killed Thompson under mitigating circumstances, while differentiating it from a not‑guilty‑by‑reason‑of‑insanity plea that seeks full exoneration and psychiatric treatment instead of prison. Had the defence succeeded, Mangione could have faced a shorter prison term.

The defendant is also confronting federal stalking charges that could carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He was arrested shortly after Thompson was shot from behind by a masked gunman while walking into a Manhattan hotel for an annual investor conference on 4 December 2024.

Mangione’s next court appearance is scheduled for 11 August, preceding the state trial slated to begin on 8 September.