US jury in Luigi Mangione murder trial to remain anonymous 

The jury in Luigi Mangione’s upcoming murder trial over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson will remain anonymous, a New York State judge has ruled, as one of the most closely watched criminal cases in the United States moves towards trial.

New York state Justice Gregory Carro announced the decision at a hearing on Tuesday, ahead of jury selection, which is expected to begin on September 8.

Carro did not explain why the jurors’ identities would be withheld from the public. Anonymous juries are relatively unusual in US criminal trials, but judges sometimes use them in high-profile cases when there are concerns that jurors could face harassment or intimidation.

The judge also ordered that an overflow courtroom be made available to journalists and members of the public if the main courtroom reaches capacity, underscoring the intense interest surrounding the case.

Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to murder, weapons and forgery charges over the December 2024 killing of Thompson, who was shot outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan as he headed to an investor conference.

While the killing was condemned by public officials, it tapped into deep frustration in the US over rising healthcare costs and the practices of private health insurers. Footage of the shooting quickly spread online, while the five-day manhunt that followed sparked a national media frenzy. Mangione was eventually arrested in Pennsylvania.

Police have said the words “delay”, “deny” and “depose” were written on ammunition connected to the shooting, echoing a phrase used by critics to describe the tactics used by insurance companies to avoid paying claims.

Prosecutors say their case includes hundreds of hours of surveillance footage, fingerprints, DNA, a mobile phone and a gun they say matches the ballistics from Thompson’s killing.

They also plan to use a notebook allegedly belonging to Mangione. Carro ruled last month that both the gun, a 3D-printed pistol, and notebook could be admitted at trial. Prosecutors say the notebook contains writings about targeting a health insurance executive and rebelling against what it calls the “deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel”.

Mangione’s lawyers have so far revealed little about how they plan to counter the prosecution’s case and have not conceded that he was the shooter.

His legal team briefly indicated in June that it could pursue an “extreme emotional disturbance” defence, which under New York law could have required the jury to convict him of manslaughter, carrying up to 25 years in prison, rather than murder, which can carry a life sentence, if the jury accepted it.

But the defence abruptly withdrew that plan a day later. Attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo told Carro that Mangione was withdrawing the notice “at this time”.

Mangione is separately facing federal charges stemming from Thompson’s killing.

Federal murder and weapons charges against him were thrown out last January on legal grounds, eliminating the possibility of the death penalty. But he still faces federal stalking charges that could result in life in prison if he is convicted.

Mangione’s federal trial is scheduled to begin in January.