Mangione's lawyers reverse course on psychiatric defence in state murder trial

The defence team reverse course a day after saying they would argue he suffered "extreme emotional disturbance". Mangione's lawyers won't seek psychiatric defence in state murder trial Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Luigi Mangione appears at a hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court on June 17, 2026 in New York City. Mangione's lawyers reverse course on psychiatric defence in state murder trial Lawyers for the defendant accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson will no longer argue a psychiatric defence at his state murder trial. Luigi Mangione's attorneys reversed course a day after telling Judge Gregory Carro that they would try to show he was suffering from "extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the occurrence". Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty in both the federal and state cases against him for the fatal shooting of Thompson in midtown Manhattan at the end of 2024. The BBC has contacted Mangione's attorneys. The Manhattan district attorney's office declined to comment. Luigi Mangione looks toward his lawyer while wearing a navy jacket and white dress shirt. He is holding a yellow envelope in his hand. Mangione's lawyers plan psychiatric defence in state murder trial The reversal came ahead of a Thursday deadline Mangione's legal team was facing to provide prosecutors at the Manhattan district attorney's office with information in support of the psychiatric defence claim. If Mangione had pursued the psychiatric defence, and the jury accepted it, then he could have faced a shorter prison sentence as he might have faced a conviction for manslaughter, instead of murder. By using a psychiatric defence argument, Mangione would have essentially admitted to killing Thompson with mitigating circumstances, legal expert Richard Schoenstein told CBS. That argument is different from pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, which typically seeks exoneration and a punishment that includes a psychiatric facility rather than prison. Mangione appeared in court on Wednesday as the judge spoke about his then-planned psychiatric defence. His next court date is scheduled for 11 August, before the state trial begins on 8 September. Mangione is also facing federal stalking charges, which can bring a maximum sentence of life in prison. He was arrested days after Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was shot from behind by a masked gunman on 4 December 2024 as he walked into a Manhattan hotel for an annual investor conference. Luigi Mangione appears for a federal court hearing in New York City in December Luigi Mangione will not face death penalty if convicted, judge rules Her comments came after Trump said that his once-close ally had "begged" for a photograph with him at a G7 summit. The highly public exchange is an indication that their earlier close ties have frayed since Trump's decision to go to war with Iran. The couple were opening a site in Chicago, which the former president described as a "celebration of community". Waleed Saeed used fake Snapchat, Instagram and Grindr profiles to target his victims. Police praised the woman for her testimony, which led to her rapist being jailed for six years. Roman Lavrynovych 22, was jailed for seven years and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, for two. The New York Knicks won the NBA Finals on Saturday, generating a citywide energy that culminated in a massive parade on Thursday. Thousands of fans flooded the streets of New York to celebrate the basketball team's first championship title in more than 50 years.