Luigi Mangione will not pursue psychiatric defense in UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing

NEW YORK – Luigi Mangione’s lawyers will no longer be pursuing a psychiatric defense in his state murder trial for the killing of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, according to The Associated Press.

Mangione’s lawyers won’t attempt psychiatric defense

What we know:

Mangione’s attorneys notified a judge of the decision on Thursday, according to the AP. On Wednesday, they told Judge Gregory Carro that they were planning to argue that Mangione was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the killing.

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Mangione’s lawyers had a Thursday deadline to give prosecutors information to support that claim, the AP reported.

Under New York law, an “extreme emotional disturbance” defense would lessen the charges, from murder to manslaughter.

When do Luigi Mangione’s trials start?

What’s next:

Mangione is in a federal jail in Brooklyn while he awaits trial in state and federal trials for the Dec. 4, 2024, killing in Manhattan. He has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

Mangione’s state trial is scheduled for Sept. 8; the federal trial is set to begin on Oct. 13. 

The backstory:

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind.

Mangione was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.