Luigi Mangione, 28, is facing a state murder trial for the December 4, 2024, killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
On Wednesday, Judge Gregory Carro revealed that Mangione's legal team intended to pursue a psychiatric defense during the upcoming Manhattan state court trial. The defense planned to argue that Mangione was suffering from an extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the occurrence.
However, in a stunning reversal on Thursday, documents filed in court show that the legal team is withdrawing the psychiatric defense. This change in position comes just one day after the attorneys had informed the judge of their plan to use the strategy.
Had the defense team been successful in claiming an extreme emotional disturbance, Mangione could have been convicted of a lesser charge.