Luigi Mangione alleges 'extreme emotional disturbance' in his defense, says judge

Police release video of the moment of Luigi Mangione's arrest in a cafeteria in Pennsylvania
Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering the CEO of a US health insurer in 2024, plans to claim at his trial that he was in a state of "extreme emotional disturbance", says the judge in the case.
The revelation was made this Wednesday (17), in a new hearing for the 28-year-old, after his court appearance was postponed on Tuesday.
A month ago, he and his lawyers won a victory when their request was granted by the court to prevent evidence seized by police during his arrest from being admitted at his trial, scheduled to begin in September.
His lawyers argued that the alleged contents of his backpack and statements made to law enforcement authorities during his arrest in Pennsylvania should be considered inadmissible because he was illegally searched and was not informed of his legal rights.
Judge Gregory Carro of a New York state court in Manhattan, where the crime occurred, accepted the argument, although prosecutors denied the allegations.
In court documents, the prosecution claims to have a wide range of evidence linking Mangione to the murder, including DNA, fingerprints, a cell phone and another backpack that he allegedly dropped during his flight from New York.
Luigi Mangione during a New York court hearing on December 1, 2025.
Steven Hirsch/Pool via REUTERS
In January, Mangione won another victory: prosecutors will not be able to seek the death penalty against him.
Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two federal charges - murder and possession of a gun with a silencer -, frustrating the Trump administration's promise to seek Mangione's execution.
Mangione denies all charges against him. He still faces federal stalking charges and state murder charges, which could result in life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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Remember the case
50-year-old Brian Thompson was killed on December 4, 2024, while walking in Manhattan. Security camera footage showed a masked gunman shooting him in the back.
Police say the words "delay," "deny" and "depose" were written on the bullets, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurance companies avoid paying claims.
Mangione, the son of a wealthy Baltimore family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 370 kilometers (230 miles) west of Manhattan.

Source: G1