Amid much lionization of Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder, a jury consulting expert said Mangione’s good looks can actually have an impact on the jury pool in his trial. Dr David Barnard, director of jury consulting at a firm, told Newsweek this is more than “getting away with a murder” because of a pretty face. It’s a well-established phenomenon called the “attractive-defendant effect”, Barnard said. Jurors are likely to associate one’s appearance with traits like honesty, reliability and morality, he said.
“As a jury consultant, I’ve observed the ‘attractive-defendant effect’ in action,” Barnard said. “This phenomenon has been well-documented in academic research, showing that conventionally attractive defendants often receive more favorable treatment and outcomes in legal settings compared to their less attractive counterparts.”
Luigi Mangione has already been hailed as a hero with his merchandise taken off ahead of Christmas; he’s even being imagined as a prettier Jesus — funds pouring in for his legal defense as he’s now facing a federal murder charge that makes him eligible for the death penalty.
“This bias can result in increased sympathy or leniency for the defendant, sometimes overriding the evidence presented,” Barnard said. “For example, jurors who believe Mangione committed the crime might still be inclined to find him guilty of a lesser charge if such an option exists, particularly if factors, such as mental illness, are introduced.”
“In a case as high-profile as this, where Mangione has received significant attention online for his looks, jurors may bring those discussions into the courtroom—consciously or not,” Barnard said. “When a defendant’s appearance becomes a focal point, it can overshadow the facts of the case and skew perceptions of their character and credibility.”
‘My campus is rooting for Luigi Mangione’
Luigi Mangione’s background, his wealthy family, his Ivy League education — everything is playing a role in shaping the public’s mood. Maximillian Meyer, a sophomore at Princeton University, has written for New York Post that his campus is siding with Mangione.
“Of course, leftist college students — particularly Ivy Leaguers — have for generations fancied themselves revolutionaries. But this outright glorification of violence marks a significant escalation. And I believe I know why. To far-left young Americans, on any given issue, the world is divided into two buckets: oppressor and oppressed. There is little room for nuance, and next to none for negotiation,” Meyer wrote.
Investigations revealed that Mangione did not have any personal grudge against UHC or Brian Thompson and he was not even a customer of the health insurance company — but his target was the health insurance sector and UHC checked all the boxes.