Could Luigi Mangione’s Reputation as a ‘Folk Hero’ Help Him Secure an Acquittal for Murder?

The defendant’s celebrity could pose challenges to the promise of an ‘impartial’ jury.

AP Photo/Pamela Smith
The Apple feature misrepresented that the alleged killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Luigi Mangione, shot himself.  AP Photo/Pamela Smith

The burgeoning online popularity of an alleged murderer, Luigi Mangione, could amount to more than mere online buzz — if it helps a jury acquit him of multiple counts of murder.

Mr. Mangione, who is a 26-year-old graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is accused of slaying the chief executive of UnitedHealthCare, Brian Thompson. The killing took place at dawn on December 5, outside a hotel at Midtown Manhattan. In some quarters, Mr. Mangione is seen as something of an avenger against a healthcare system deemed predatory.

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