Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting a Manhattan health insurance executive, plans to argue in his murder trial that he was suffering from a serious mental health condition at the time of the alleged murder, a judge revealed in a pretrial hearing Wednesday.
That strategy carries stiff legal penalties but could result in a jury convicting Mangione of the lesser crime of manslaughter, which carries a lighter sentence.
Mangione, who appeared in court wearing a black suit and white shirt, is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel in December 2024.
The brutal killing was widely condemned by public officials but became a symbol of Americans’ frustration with rising health care costs and the health insurance industry’s procedures.
Mangione pleaded not guilty in December 2024 to murder, weapons and forgery charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. His trial is scheduled for September before Judge Gregory Carro in Manhattan.
Under New York law, murder defendants can seek to convince a jury that their actions can be explained by “significant emotional disturbance” that mitigates their culpability.
