Luigi Mangione's lawyer is criticizing reports of a settlement, dropping the emotional distress claim
Suspected killer Luigi Mangione's defense chief is rejecting reports that a plea deal may be in place with federal prosecutors. His lawyers say the information is part of a deliberate pattern to manipulate public opinion and violate his due process rights. The defendant also withdrew a plea of emotional distress in Mangione's murder case, which would have reduced his charge of manslaughter to manslaughter.
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Lawyers for Luigi Mangione are trying to push back on reports that the suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO killer is in talks about a federal deal.
WNBC reported Thursday through anonymous sources that Mangione has been in contact with federal prosecutors about a plea deal. The newspaper continued to report through its anonymous sources that a deal was imminent but collapsed.
In a statement sent to Fox News, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione's attorney, said prosecutors were trying to shape public opinion about the case, but did not directly address reports of plea bargains.
“This so-called 'unknown' information is part of a disturbing, deliberate pattern by prosecutors and law enforcement to prejudice Luigi, manipulate public opinion, and violate his constitutional right to a fair trial and an impartial jury,” Agnifilo said.
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Luigi Mangione appears before a trial in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, NY, June 17, 2026. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News)
“Every defendant in America is presumed innocent until proven guilty, including Luigi, unlike any other defendant, who has to fight the same charges twice,” he added.
Mangione faces two counts of stalking resulting in death. The other two charges, murder with a firearm and a weapons charge, were dismissed in early 2026. The federal manslaughter charge was justified.
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The US attorney's office declined to comment when reached by Fox News.
LUIGI MANGIONE'S DEFENSE TO STATUTE DISRUPTION COULD HAVE HUGE IMPACT ON HIS CASE: LAWYER
Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on June 17, 2026. Mangione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson in December 2024. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News)
Shortly after informing the court that they planned to pursue a mental health charge against Mangione, his lawyers dropped the “severe emotional disturbance” defense plan.
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Under New York law, if the plea was accepted by the jury following his conviction, it had the power to reduce the manslaughter verdict to manslaughter.
Randolph Rice, a Maryland-based attorney and legal analyst, told Fox News Digital that he thinks Mangione changed his mind after realizing the defense could open him up to more trouble.
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Brian Thompson was named CEO of the UnitedHealthcare Unit in 2017. He was shot in New York City in December 2024. (Business Wire)
“He may have had a change of heart and said, 'Wait a minute, I'm going to go to district court. I admit that I did this. How is this going to play out as I face more serious charges in federal court in January of next year?'” Rice said.
Defense attorney James Leonard called the defense's original plan “a very dangerous trial strategy.”
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Luigi Mangione arrives at a suppression hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City on May 18, 2026. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters via Pool)
“They told the judge that Mangione committed murder, but this is what he did, and because of this, you have to dismiss his case,” Leonard said. “If the judge accepts that, it would be a huge victory for the defense team. If the judge rejects that, [would] It probably means Mangione will spend the rest of his life in prison.”
Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
