Should Luigi Mangione Plead Insanity in Court? Expert Gives Theory on What that Defense Could Mean

If Luigi Mangione eventually goes on trial, it would likely be one of the most followed legal proceedings in American history. So what would his potential defense look like?

Mangione, 26, is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024. Thompson was shot multiple times by a masked gunman, who then fled the scene on a bike. Police say that the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were found inscribed on the shell casings used — an apparent reference to what critics have said are strategies used by insurance companies to reject claims.

Police subsequently arrested Mangione days after the shooting at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., and alleged that he was found with a “ghost gun,” fake IDs and a letter addressed to “the feds” claiming “parasites” in the health insurance industry “had it coming.”

Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty, is charged with multiple counts of murder, terrorism and stalking in New York. He also faces several federal charges and could potentially face the death penalty if found guilty.

A new documentary, Who Is Luigi Mangione?, airing on ID and streaming on Max, tells Mangione’s life story up until the high-profile murder he is now accused of committing and explores the shocking swell of support he has received from many, borne out of discontent with the health insurance industry.

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Dan Abrams, a legal analyst and radio host who produced the documentary, does not believe Mangione will plead insanity if he goes on trial.

“I don’t expect that there’ll be an insanity defense,” Abrams tells PEOPLE. “I think that would seemingly defeat the entire purpose of what he allegedly did and why allegedly he did it.”

Abrams instead thinks Mangione’s defense will focus heavily on jury selection and try to seat potentially sympathetic jurors.

Mangione, whose striking looks have contributed to his mystique, has received over $300,000 in donations from supporters since his arrest.

“I think it is very troubling that Luigi Mangione, based on the facts we know, has an enormous amount of support, and people donating to his defense fund,” says Abrams, who notes that the defendant comes from a wealthy family. “Of course, he deserves a defense in court. But this is not a guy who needs a defense fund.”

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Following Mangione’s arrest in Pennsylvania, demonstrators appeared outside the courthouse, some of whom held “Free Luigi” signs.

Mangione, who was extradited to New York, is due in court on Friday, Feb. 21.