Luigi Mangione drops psychiatric defence ahead of New York murder trial
Mangione's lawyer opposed unsealing transcripts citing risk to his federal case
Luigi Mangione, 28, has dropped plans to pursue a psychiatric defence in his upcoming New York state murder trial, withdrawing his notice of intent to present psychiatric evidence just one day after the strategy became public knowledge.
PEOPLE obtained a court filing dated Thursday, confirming the withdrawal — coming less than 24 hours after the defence approach was first disclosed in open court.
How the defence strategy came to light
Judge Gregory Carro revealed the planned defence during a court proceeding on Wednesday, stemming from a sealed hearing held two weeks prior, the Associated Press reported. The defence team had signalled it intended to argue that Mangione was suffering from an "extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the occurrence."
"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 said, according to the AP.
Had the strategy succeeded, it could have allowed a jury to convict Mangione of manslaughter rather than murder — carrying a significantly lighter sentence than the 25 years to life he now faces if found guilty on the murder charge.
Federal case concerns shaped the decision
Mangione's attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, had opposed the unsealing of transcripts from the earlier hearing, arguing the disclosure could damage her client's position in his separate federal prosecution.
"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, according to the AP.
The charges Mangione faces
Mangione is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on 4 December 2024. Authorities arrested Mangione on 9 December 2024.
In the New York state case, a guilty verdict could result in a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Mangione is also facing a separate federal prosecution, where he will not face the death penalty but could still receive a life sentence if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty in both cases.
