Luigi Mangione requests SURPRISE court hearing, sparking speculation he'll request plea deal for murder of CEO

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:37, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 16:00, 12 August 2026 Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering a United Healthcare CEO on the streets of New York City, has requested an unexpected hearing.  The sudden request has sparked speculation that the 28-year-old might get a plea deal over the December 2024 killing of Brian Thompson in Manhattan, NBC News reported.  Mangione's lawyers and prosecutors filed a joint letter requesting the hearing be held at 11am on Friday in Manhattan Federal Court and it has been approved, according to the outlet.  The Maryland native has been charged with two counts of stalking resulting in death in federal court. Two other counts, including murder through use of a firearm, were dismissed.  He has also been charged in state court with second-degree murder, multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of a forged instrument.  Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.   If he accepts a plea dayl in the federal case, his state criminal charges would be thrown out becuse of New York's double jeopardy rules.   The news comes just months after Mangione's legal team had unsuccesful talks with federal prosecutors about a potential plea deal for their client, per the report.  Luigi Mangione's lawyers and prosecutors have requested a suprise hearing for the alleged killer on Friday morning The fatal shooting was captured on camera as Thompson made his way to a hotel in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024 At the time, Mangione's defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said that the prosecution was trying to 'manipulate public opinion' against the alleged assassian.  Around that time, Mangione's lawyers also unveiled a new strategy ahead of his murder trial that would see them deploy a psychiatric defense. They presented the defense at a pretrial hearing in June, according to presiding judge Gregory Carro. They said they plan to argue that he was 'extremely emotionally disturbed' at the time of the alleged killing. In response, Carro has ordered the defense to produce Mangione's psychiatric records immediately and to unseal records from a secret hearing two weeks prior.  The latest decision to meet in court on Friday comes just a day after Mangione appeared in court on Tuesday.  During that hearing, the judge ruled that the jury in his trial will remain annoymous because of the high-profile nature of the case.  Since the murder and his capture, Mangione has gone on to attract a large fan base - mainly of women - who show up to court in support of the alleged killer.  On Tuesday, a judge ruled that the jury in Mangione's trial will be annoymous because of the high-prfile nature of his case. He has gone on to attract a large fan base following Thompson's death This is breaking news... updates to follow.