Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appeared for a virtual hearing in his homicide case in Manhattan state court Tuesday, with the proceeding sealed from the public at the request of his defense.
State Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro did not acknowledge letters from the press objecting to the closure in a case that has sparked significant public interest, and the subject of the hearing remained a mystery. He set Mangione’s next court date for June 16.
The Office of Court Administration said the early morning hearing would remain sealed until Carro renders a decision on a motion by Mangione’s lawyers, saying the ruling would come “soon.”
No further guidance was provided.
A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to comment. Mangione’s legal team did not respond to inquiries.
Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the case, accused of fatally shooting an unsuspecting Thompson in the back on Dec. 4, 2024, by an entrance to the Hilton on W. 54th St. and Sixth Ave., and then fleeing the state. Jury selection is set to begin Sept. 8.
Thompson, 50, a healthcare executive from Minnesota and father to two teen boys, was arriving early to a conference, where he was set to address a ballroom full of colleagues and investors.
Mangione is not believed to have ever met Thompson and has no criminal record. The Ivy League computer science grad from Maryland is also facing stalking offenses in a federal case in Manhattan, playing out parallel to his prosecution and set to go on trial after.
If convicted in either case, Mangione could be sentenced to life in prison.
Prosecutors allege Mangione meticulously planned to kill a healthcare executive for months and laid out his objective to “wack” a CEO “at the annual parasitic bean counter convention” in what they’ve described as a manifesto.
According to authorities, shell casings recovered at the scene of Thompson’s killing read: delay, deny and defend, in seeming reference to health insurance companies refusing benefits claims to maximize their profits.
Widespread dissatisfaction with the high cost of healthcare in the U.S. has helped fuel significant support for Mangione. His court hearings have attracted throngs of supporters, and his lawyers have received millions in donations toward his defense. Lampposts and trash cans in the vicinity of the courthouse and neighboring streets have been covered with stickers idolizing him as a saintlike Robin Hood figure.
Some of Mangione’s most ardent supporters — who’ve managed to snag City Hall-issued press credentials, as The News reported — have said they plan to promote jury nullification when his trials get underway this fall. Jury nullification occurs when jurors believe a defendant is guilty of the charges but elect to acquit them anyway.