Mangione Drops Psych Defense

Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has abruptly dropped his psychiatric defense, abandoning plans to argue extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the killing. His lawyers, who had just announced the defense the day before, now say they won’t present evidence to support it — a move that could shift his case toward a manslaughter plea instead of murder. The defense, which would have admitted guilt but sought reduced charges, was distinct from an insanity plea and had been delayed as lawyers worried about prejudicing his federal case. Surveillance footage showed a masked shooter, and ammo found at the scene bore phrases like “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” — likely referencing insurance practices. Despite the judge’s last-minute order to seal materials, some media had already received them. Mangione, 28, remains not guilty on both state and federal charges, with his state trial set for September 8 and federal stalking trial for October 13. Prosecutors point to a 3D-printed gun and a notebook allegedly linking him to the crime — filled with writings targeting health insurance executives and railing against the industry. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/4179d96e1e409415