Luigi Mangione, accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) CEO Brian Thompson, has, for now, withdrawn plans to pursue a psychiatric defense, Reuters reported on Friday, citing a court filing.
Defense Strategy Withdrawn The filing comes days after Mangione's legal team planned to pursue an extreme emotional disturbance defense.
According to CBS News, citing court proceedings on Wednesday, Mangione's lawyers told the judge they would seek to show he was suffering from an extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the shooting.
Reuters reported on Friday that Mangione's lawyers informed the judge they were "at this time" withdrawing plans to introduce evidence supporting that defense.
Under New York law, an extreme emotional disturbance defense can reduce a murder conviction to manslaughter rather than murder.
