New York, United States. Luigi Mangione plans to argue at his murder trial that he was undergoing an extreme mental health crisis at the time of the alleged killing of a health insurance executive in Manhattan, a judge said at a hearing on Wednesday. The defense strategy could result in a lesser conviction of manslaughter if accepted by a jury.
Defense strategy and legal standard
Under New York law, defendants charged with murder can argue that their actions were the result of an “extreme emotional disturbance,” which can reduce criminal culpability. Justice Gregory Carro will decide whether there is enough evidence for the murder charge to be reduced.
Charges and trial schedule
Mangione, who appeared in court in a dark suit and white shirt, is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Midtown in December 2024. Mangione pleaded not guilty in December 2024 to state murder, weapons and forgery charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. His trial is scheduled for September in Manhattan before Carro.
Victim and case background
Thompson led UnitedHealth Group’s UNH.N insurance unit before he was shot dead in the early morning outside a hotel where the company was holding an investor conference. The killing was widely condemned by public officials and became emblematic of public frustration in the United States over rising healthcare costs and health insurance industry practices.
Investigation and federal case
Graphic footage of the killing and a five-day manhunt made the case a major media story and a focus of attention on social media. Mangione was later arrested in Pennsylvania.
Mangione also pleaded not guilty in April 2025 to federal murder, weapons and stalking charges brought by Manhattan prosecutors. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed the murder and weapons charges in January on legal technicalities, removing the possibility of the death penalty, though Mangione still faces a possible sentence of life without parole if convicted of stalking.