Luigi Mangione to assert psychiatric defense in murder trial of UnitedHealthcare CEO

NEW YORK CITY – Lawyers for Luigi Mangione plan to mount a psychiatric defense in his New York State murder trial for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

What we know:

During a recently rescheduled hearing, Judge Gregory Carl stated that Mangione’s defense team formally informed the court of their strategy. Attorneys will attempt to prove that Mangione was suffering from an “extreme emotional disturbance” at the time of the shooting.

Mangione is expected to appear in court on Wednesday after Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann failed to tell the jail he was needed in court on Tuesday.

Why you should care:

If the defense successfully proves extreme emotional disturbance, Mangione could be committed to a psychiatric facility rather than being sentenced to a traditional prison.

The backstory:

Mangione is being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn while awaiting trial in state and federal trials for the Dec. 4, 2024, killing. He has pleaded not guilty in both cases and could spend his life in prison if convicted in either case.

He is set to go to trial in the state case on Sept. 8. His federal trial, which involves stalking charges, is set to begin on Oct. 13.

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.