CNN correspondent Kara Scannell was left flummoxed after accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione's legal team moved to withdraw their plan for a psychiatric legal defense on Thursday — just a day after having submitted it to the court in the first place.
"This is like 24 hours. It's a reversal," said anchor Phil Mattingly. "Explain what's happening here."
"In the words of one former prosecutor, this is stunning and bizarre," said Scannell, noting that Mangione would have confessed to the murder in court under their initial plan, but claimed to have done so "in a state of extreme emotional disturbance" — and now that appears to be off the table, but "there are no additional details."
"There's nothing concrete to explain why they made this reversal," said Scannell. "Today was the deadline for the lawyers to give the prosecution the name of their expert and other information about this defense," although it's not clear whether this was the cause of the withdrawal, or whether that came first.
One theory of a prosecutor watching the case, she noted, is that "Mangione himself changed his mind." Another reason could be "an issue with the expert or the expert's report."
What does appear to be the case, she added, is that Mangione's legal team wants it sealed that he even asked for a psychiatric defense in the first place, "because if this came out and they didn't go forward, it could potentially prejudice the jury. And now that issue seems to be a potential issue on the table. This trial is just three months away."
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