Luigi Mangione, the defendant accused of the December 2024 killing of the head of UnitedHealthcare's insurance unit, plans to assert at his state trial that he was in a condition of "extreme emotional disturbance" when the shooting occurred, a judge revealed during a court proceeding on Wednesday.
The victim, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was shot outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel where he had been staying to attend an investor conference. Thompson died in the early morning hours, in an episode that drew widespread condemnation from public officials and captured public attention amid broader frustration with rising healthcare costs and industry practices.
Mangione pleaded not guilty in December 2024 to state-level charges that include murder, weapons offenses and forgery, filed by the Manhattan District Attorney's office. His state trial is scheduled to take place in September before Justice Gregory Carro in Manhattan.
Graphic footage of the shooting circulated publicly, and a multi-day manhunt for a suspect followed, making the case a focus of both mainstream media and social media platforms. Mangione was ultimately arrested in Pennsylvania.
In a separate federal prosecution, Mangione entered a not guilty plea in April 2025 to murder, weapons and stalking counts brought by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. That case was overseen by U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett.
In a surprise ruling in January, Judge Garnett dismissed the federal murder and weapons charges on legal technicalities. That ruling removed the potential for a death penalty sentence in the federal case. However, Mangione still faces the possibility of life without parole if convicted on the stalking charge that remains.
Jury selection in the federal matter is scheduled to begin in September, with opening statements set for November. The state proceeding will run on a separate timetable, with Mangione's defense flagging the extreme emotional disturbance claim as a central element of the upcoming trial.
Context and courtroom timeline
The two parallel prosecutions mean Mangione faces separate legal tracks in state and federal courts. In state court, prosecutors have charged him with murder, weapons and forgery counts, and he has pleaded not guilty. In federal court, after dismissals in January, remaining counts include stalking and related charges, with critical pretrial dates approaching in September and November.
Details disclosed at the recent hearing indicate the defense will advance a specific mental-state claim at the state trial. The public record, as reflected in court filings and the judge's remarks, provides the primary information about the planned defense and the status of both prosecutions.
This case has attracted attention not only because of the high-profile victim and the brazen circumstances of the killing, but also because of the parallel nature of the prosecutions and the legal consequences of the January ruling in federal court. The upcoming trials will determine the outcome of the criminal charges in both jurisdictions.