Luigi Mangione, the 28-year-old charged with killing a health insurance executive on a New York City sidewalk, has for now abandoned plans to argue at trial that he was in the grip of a severe mental health crisis when the alleged shooting took place. The move was revealed in a court filing submitted Friday.
Mangione stands accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024 outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel in the early morning hours. Thompson was leading UnitedHealth Group’s insurance division at the time. The killing drew widespread condemnation from public officials, yet also became a symbol of public anger over rising healthcare costs and the practices of the health insurance industry. The graphic nature of the crime and a five-day manhunt for the suspect turned the case into a major media story and social media phenomenon. Mangione was ultimately taken into custody in Pennsylvania.
In December 2024, Mangione entered a not guilty plea to state-level murder, weapons, and forgery charges filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. His state trial is scheduled for September before Justice Gregory Carro in Manhattan.
In a letter addressed to Justice Carro on Friday, Mangione’s defense attorneys stated they were withdrawing — “at this time” — their intention to argue that Mangione had lost control of his behavior as a result of an extreme mental health episode. His legal team declined to offer any further comment.
New York law allows defendants in murder cases to present what is known as an “extreme emotional disturbance” defense, which can persuade a jury to view the defendant’s actions with greater leniency. If successful, such a defense can result in a murder charge being reduced to manslaughter — a lesser offense that does not carry the possibility of a life sentence. Justice Carro would have the final say at trial on whether there was sufficient evidence to allow for that reduction.
Legal analysts noted that the defense would have faced an uphill battle given evidence suggesting the killing was carefully premeditated and that Mangione took deliberate steps to avoid capture afterward.
On the federal side, Mangione entered a not guilty plea in April 2025 to murder, weapons, and stalking charges brought by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. In a surprising January ruling, a judge dismissed the murder and weapons charges on legal technicalities, eliminating any possibility of the death penalty. However, Mangione could still face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on the stalking charge. Jury selection in that federal case is set for September, with opening statements planned for November.
