Luigi Mangione’s defense slams plea deal reports, drops emotional distress claim
Accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione’s defense criticizes reports of a possible plea deal with federal prosecutors. His attorneys claim this information is part of a deliberate pattern to manipulate public opinion and violate his fair trial rights. The defense also withdrew an emotional distress claim in Mangione’s state murder case, which could have reduced his murder charge to manslaughter.
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Luigi Mangione’s lawyers are trying to push back on reports that the UnitedHealthcare CEO assassination suspect has been in negotiations for a federal plea deal.
WNBC reported Thursday through anonymous sources that Mangione has been in contact with federal prosecutors regarding a possible plea deal. The outlet went on to report, through anonymous sources, that an agreement was close but fell apart.
In a statement to Fox News, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s attorney, said prosecutors are trying to shape public opinion about the case, but did not directly address reports of plea deal discussions.
“This information attributed to ‘anonymous sources’ is part of a troubling, deliberate pattern by prosecutors and law enforcement to prejudice Luigi, manipulate public opinion, and violate his constitutional right to a fair trial and impartial jury,” Agnifilo said.
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Luigi Mangione appears at a pre-trial hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, N.Y., on June 17, 2026. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News)
“Every defendant in America is presumed innocent until proven guilty, including Luigi, who, unlike any other defendant, has to fight the same charges twice,” she added.
Mangione faces two federal stalking charges resulting in death. Two other charges, murder through the use of a firearm and a weapons charge, were dismissed earlier in 2026. The federal murder charge was death penalty eligible.
The U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment when reached by Fox News.
LUIGI MANGIONE’S EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE DEFENSE MAY HAVE HUGE IMPACT IN HIS OTHER CASE: LAWYER
Luigi Mangione appears at a pretrial hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on June 17, 2026. Mangione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News)
Shortly after informing the court that they plan to pursue a psychiatric defense for Mangione, his lawyers suddenly withdrew the “extreme emotional disturbance” defense plan.
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Under New York law, if the claim was accepted by jurors following his conviction, it had the potential to reduce a murder verdict to first-degree manslaughter.
Randolph Rice, a Maryland-based attorney and legal analyst, told Fox News Digital he thinks Mangione changed his mind after realizing this defense could open him up to more issues.
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Brian Thompson was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare Unit in 2017. He was shot in New York City in December 2024. (Businesswire)
“He might have had a change of heart and said, ‘Wait a second, I’m going into state court. I’m admitting that I did this. How is this going to play when I’m facing even more serious charges in federal court in January of next year?'” Rice said.
Criminal defense attorney James Leonard called the initial defense plan “a very risky trial strategy.”
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Luigi Mangione arrives at an evidence suppression hearing at the Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City on May 18, 2026. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters via Pool)
“They are basically telling the jury that Mangione committed the murder, but here is why he did it and, because of this, you should nullify his guilt,” Leonard said. “If the jury accepts that, it would be an epic win for the defense team. If the jury rejects that, it [would] likely mean that Mangione will spend the rest of his life behind bars.”
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.