NEW YORK — A New York judge confirmed Wednesday that Luigi Mangione’s defense attorneys plan to argue he was suffering from a psychiatric condition at the time of the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Judge Gregory Carro announced that Mangione’s legal team intends to demonstrate he was experiencing “extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the occurrence.” A successful psychiatric defense could result in Mangione being sent to a mental health treatment facility rather than serving time in prison.
Judge Carro’s announcement came approximately two weeks after he held a closed-door hearing on the matter, which was requested by the defense. He stated he will now unseal records connected to that private hearing and to the psychiatric defense strategy.
“The reasons for the sealing was to give the defense an opportunity to determine whether they were going forth with that defense and the nature of that defense,” Carro explained in court.
Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, raised concerns about making those records public, arguing it could damage her client’s position in his separate federal case.
“The reason why we asked for the sealing is that this defense is not available federally and Mr. Mangione is being prosecuted federally and this is prejudicial to his defense to the exact same facts,” Friedman Agnifilo said.
The ruling had originally been scheduled for Tuesday but was pushed back one day after prosecutors failed to notify Mangione’s jail that he was required in court. Mangione appeared Wednesday wearing a blue suit and a light-colored button-down shirt, seated between his attorneys. His state trial is scheduled to begin September 8.
Mangione, 28, has entered not guilty pleas to both state and federal charges in connection with the December 4, 2024 killing. A separate federal trial involving stalking charges is set to get underway October 13. A conviction in either case could result in a life sentence.
Thompson, 50, was shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual investor conference. Surveillance footage captured a masked gunman firing at him from behind. Investigators say the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” were found on the ammunition — a phrase commonly associated with tactics insurers use to avoid paying out claims.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was taken into custody five days after the shooting at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, roughly 230 miles west of Manhattan. At a May 18 hearing, Judge Carro ruled that a firearm and a notebook recovered from Mangione could be used as evidence in the state trial.
Prosecutors say the weapon — a 3D-printed pistol — is consistent with the gun used to kill Thompson. The notebook reportedly contains references to wanting to “wack” a health insurance executive and expresses opposition to what it describes as “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel.”
Also on Wednesday, Judge Carro dismissed a charge related to a gun magazine that he had previously ruled inadmissible, after determining it was discovered during an initial search of Mangione’s backpack at the McDonald’s location.
