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Luigi Mangione withdraws plans to use psychiatric defense in state murder case
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Attorneys for Luigi Mangione have withdrawn his psychiatric defense in the murder trial for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as revealed in court documents.
- Mangione faces eight felony charges, including second-degree murder, related to the December 4, 2024, shooting outside an investor conference in Manhattan, and also faces federal stalking charges.
- The withdrawn psychiatric defense could have reduced a conviction from second-degree murder to first-degree manslaughter if proven, but the judge has kept related psychiatric records sealed.
- Prosecutors plan to introduce a diary found during Mangione’s arrest, which allegedly outlines his intent to kill Thompson and criticizes the health insurance industry; the judge ruled the search that found the diary was legal.
- Mangione’s trial is set to begin in September, with both the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Mangione’s lawyers declining to comment on recent developments.
