A judge in Manhattan has ruled that the jury in Luigi Mangione’s state murder trial will be anonymous. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on September 8.
DR reports that Judge Gregory Carro has decided the identities of the 12 jurors will not be made public. The decision was made because of the intense attention surrounding the case.
Mangione, 28, is charged with the killing of Brian Thompson, chief executive of the American health insurance company UnitedHealthcare. Thompson was shot dead outside a hotel in Manhattan in December 2024. Mangione has pleaded not guilty.
He appeared in court in Manhattan on Tuesday morning for a final hearing before the trial. According to BBC, the judge ordered the anonymous jury because of the unusual level of attention, and to shield jurors from being influenced by publicity.
Carro also ordered that an extra courtroom be made available, so journalists and other observers can follow the case if the main room fills up. The Guardian reported that around 20 people who appeared to be Mangione supporters attended Tuesday’s hearing.
Helle Porsdam, a professor at the University of Copenhagen who researches American legal history, told DR that anonymous juries are used to protect jurors in high-profile cases. Per Porsdam, jurors in large trials are targeted and harassed, particularly through social media, and anonymity is meant to keep outside pressure from affecting their assessment.
Extensive evidence announced
Mangione is charged with murder, weapons offenses and forgery, DR reports. Prosecutors have signaled extensive evidence, including surveillance footage, fingerprints, DNA and a weapon they say can be linked to the killing. According to DR, ammunition that police connect to the shooting carried the words delay, deny and depose.
The case has drawn attention beyond the killing itself. Some of Mangione’s supporters have made him a symbol of anger at the American healthcare system and at private health insurance companies, as reported by BBC.
Lars Thorup Larsen, a professor at the Department of Political Science at Aarhus University, told DR that frustration over healthcare costs helps explain the online support. As noted by Larsen, there are numerous cases where people have not had treatment needs covered, and missing coverage in the United States can mean no treatment or severe financial ruin.
Mangione also faces a separate federal case over the killing. AP reported that the federal trial has been postponed to January 2027 to avoid a conflict with the state murder trial in September. Reuters also reported the new federal schedule, and noted that Mangione appeared in court in beige prison clothing.
