The jury hearing the murder case against Luigi Mangione will be kept anonymous, a New York judge ruled as preparations intensify for the closely watched trial over the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro made the decision during a hearing, without publicly detailing the reasons for protecting the jurors’ identities. Anonymous juries are relatively uncommon but can be used in high-profile criminal proceedings when there are concerns about harassment, pressure or intimidation.
Jury selection is expected to begin on September 8.
Mangione, 28, is accused of fatally shooting Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in December 2024. Thompson was heading to an investor conference when he was killed, an incident that triggered a nationwide manhunt and drew intense attention because of widespread public anger over the U.S. health insurance system.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges, which include murder, weapons offenses and forgery. He has also denied allegations in a separate federal stalking case connected to the killing.
The judge also ordered that an additional courtroom be made available to members of the media and public if the main courtroom reaches capacity. The move is expected to accommodate the significant interest surrounding the proceedings.
Prosecutors are expected to rely on a substantial collection of evidence, including surveillance footage, fingerprints, DNA, cellphone evidence, ballistic evidence and a notebook they say contains writings expressing hostility toward insurance companies and an apparent desire to kill.
Mangione’s defense team has disclosed little about its intended strategy. A court filing in July suggested they could argue that he experienced an extreme mental health breakdown that affected his actions. His lawyers, however, have not acknowledged that Mangione was the person who carried out the shooting.
The killing and the subsequent five-day search for the suspect became a major media story, with Mangione’s arrest in Pennsylvania adding another chapter to a case that quickly gained enormous attention online.
The separate federal case against Mangione is scheduled to go to trial in January.
