NEW YORK — A New York judge has ruled that Luigi Mangione may present a psychiatric defense at his upcoming state murder trial in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson, allowing jurors to consider whether he was suffering from an extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the 2024 killing, according to court proceedings.
Judge Gregory Carro said during a pretrial hearing that Mangione's lawyers had notified the court of their intent to pursue the affirmative defense, which under New York law does not amount to a claim of legal insanity but, if accepted by a jury, could reduce a murder conviction to first-degree manslaughter.
Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to state murder charges arising from the Dec. 4, 2024, shooting of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel where the executive was attending an investor event. Prosecutors allege Mangione deliberately carried out the attack after planning it in advance. He also faces separate federal charges related to the killing.
The psychiatric defense centers on whether Mangione was experiencing what New York law defines as an "extreme emotional disturbance" when the shooting occurred. A successful defense would not result in an acquittal but could require jurors to convict him of manslaughter rather than murder, exposing him to a substantially shorter prison sentence than a murder conviction.
During the hearing, Carro said the court would unseal records related to the defense after previously handling portions of the matter under seal. The judge did not rule on the merits of the defense itself, which would be evaluated by a jury if the case proceeds to trial.
Prosecutors have argued that evidence collected during the investigation demonstrates the killing was intentional and premeditated. Court filings indicate the state intends to challenge any psychiatric evidence presented by the defense.
The state proceedings are separate from Mangione's federal prosecution. Legal experts have noted that the extreme emotional disturbance defense is available under New York state law but does not apply to the federal charges, meaning the two cases could follow different legal standards even though they stem from the same alleged conduct.
The killing of Thompson drew national attention because of the prominence of the victim and renewed debate over security for corporate executives. Authorities arrested Mangione several days after the shooting following a multi-state manhunt, and he has remained in custody since.
The state trial is scheduled to move forward later this year, while federal proceedings continue on a separate track.
