Luigi Mangione’s defense team abruptly abandoned their plan to use an “extreme emotional disturbance” argument in his upcoming murder trial, according to court filings revealed Thursday. The withdrawal came just one day after the judge presiding over the case disclosed that Mangione’s lawyers had filed a notice last September indicating they were considering presenting psychiatric evidence.

In a brief letter, Mangione’s attorneys formally retracted the notice under CPL § 250.10, which pertains to the admission of psychiatric testimony to support a diminished capacity defense. Following the withdrawal, Justice Gregory Carro sealed the previously unsealed documents and transcripts detailing the intended psychiatric strategy.

Mangione, 28, is charged with killing Brian Thompson, a UnitedHealthcare executive, on Dec. 4, 2024, in Midtown Manhattan. Surveillance footage captured a man in a hooded sweatshirt emerging from behind parked vehicles, aiming a handgun equipped with a silencer at Thompson as he approached a Hilton Hotel for an investor conference. Mangione faces multiple state charges, including second-degree murder, as well as federal charges for stalking.

Under New York law, establishing an “extreme emotional disturbance” defense could reduce a murder charge to manslaughter, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 25 years, compared to 25 years to life for murder. The deadline set by Justice Carro for disclosure of psychiatric materials was Thursday, and the withdrawal means the defense’s approach remains unclear.

The state trial is scheduled to begin in September, with the federal trial slated to follow.

The previous day’s pretrial hearing marked the first public indication of the possible extreme emotional disturbance defense after Judge Carro revealed the existence of the notice. Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, argued that psychiatric evidence should remain sealed, citing concerns that its disclosure could prejudice the parallel federal case, where a similar defense is not available.

Joel Seidemann, a Manhattan district attorney prosecutor, responded that his office would oppose any efforts to delay the trial should Mangione’s team pursue the psychiatric defense strategy. Friedman Agnifilo countered, stating no request for postponement had been made.

Throughout the exchange, Mangione appeared visibly unsettled, shaking his head as the legal debate unfolded in court.