A New York State judge has ordered that the jury in the Luigi Mangione murder trial will have their identities withheld from the public. Justice Gregory Carro made the announcement at a hearing on Tuesday, prior to the start of jury selection scheduled for September 8. The judge did not provide a specific rationale for the anonymity decision. Anonymous juries remain relatively uncommon in United States criminal proceedings, though judges may implement them in high-profile cases when there are concerns about potential juror harassment or intimidation.
Mangione, age 28, has entered a not guilty plea to charges including murder, weapons offenses, and forgery in connection with the December 2024 shooting death of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. The case has drawn substantial public attention, partly because the incident resonated with widespread concerns about healthcare costs and insurance industry practices. The shooting sparked a lengthy manhunt and generated significant media coverage before Mangione’s arrest in Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors have indicated they will present hundreds of hours of surveillance video, fingerprint evidence, DNA material, mobile phone records, and what they characterize as a matching firearm—a 3D-printed pistol. They also plan to introduce a notebook allegedly belonging to Mangione that contains writings about targeting insurance executives. A judge previously ruled both the weapon and notebook admissible as trial evidence. Mangione’s defense team has disclosed limited information about their strategy and has not confirmed their client’s involvement in the shooting.
The defense briefly pursued an “extreme emotional disturbance” defense strategy in June that could have reduced charges to manslaughter with a potential 25-year sentence, rather than murder carrying potential life imprisonment. However, the legal team withdrew this approach one day after initially filing notice. Separately, Mangione faces federal charges in the case. Federal murder and weapons charges were dismissed last January on legal grounds, but he continues to face federal stalking charges that could result in a life sentence upon conviction. His federal trial is scheduled to commence in January.
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