Who is Luigi Mangione? HBO’s Investigative Documentary Unearths the Effect of Anti-Defendant Publicity in True Crime Documentaries.

Media coverage in high-profile criminal cases is a multifaceted issue with several consequences – some good and some bad. This leads to the phenomenon known as “pretrial publicity” where potential jurors are exposed to the case and may consequently form biases. This issue illustrates the Constitutional conflict between a defendant’s right to a fair trial (Sixth Amendment) and the media’s right to freedom of press (First Amendment). These two rights are most likely to clash in high-profile trials with “anti-defendant (negative) pretrial publicity.” In a 1999 study, subjects were found to be more likely to convict a defendant after being exposed to negative pretrial publicity. The Supreme Court initially addressed these effects in Irvin v. Dowd, concluding that jury trials are not fair if its members are impartial. However, this phenomenon persists because social media, news outlets, and streaming platforms play a substantial role in the public’s perception of crime.

Specifically, jurors are one of the two groups most affected by the phenomenon known at the “CSI effect,” which posits that jurors are less likely to convict a defendant without forensic evidence. A 2013 study found that 95% of jurors had watched CSI and 73% reported that their decisions were influenced by the show.

But not all crime television is bad! For example, in the 1990s, NYPD Blue educated its viewers about their Miranda Rights, resulting in a more informed public. More recently, the docudrama on the Menéndez Brothers, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story, influenced the public’s perception of them. In fact, Erik Menéndez responded directly to Netflix for its “appalling character portrayals” and “disheartening slander” in the show, leading to the creation of a new documentary where the brothers got to share their sides of the story. During the Menéndez trial, the jury was not permitted to hear many of the brothers’ allegations of sexual abuse from their parents, leading to a public perception that they were simply after their parents’ money; however, the new documentary delves into their childhoods, helping the public understand the context of the crime more completely.

In addition to its impact on the public, the true crime genre continues to have a range of effects on law enforcement. While social media can be a tool, such as in the Violet Filkins cold case, overly publicized crimes can ultimately affect how officers conduct their investigations. Media exposure from the Netflix documentary Making A Murderer, which covers Tair Rad’s murder in 2006, resulted in public outcry for investigators to reopen the case, ultimately leading to Roman Zadorov’s acquittal 16 years later. While there are benefits to the public’s fascination with this genre, it can also add another layer of difficulty to the jobs of those working in the criminal legal system. As a result of its popularity, both prosecutors and defense attorneys must prepare for trial based not only on what has been reported, but on what has been speculated on social media as well. Media coverage of the Alex Murdaugh trial in early 2023 turned into a “24/7, multi-platform spectacle” with the public encouraging Netflix to release a second season of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal.

This emerging interest in true crime ultimately fuels a fascination with violent crime. For example, Zac Efron's controversial portrayal of serial killer Ted Bundy in the Netflix film Extremely Wicked and Shockingly Evil and Vile resulted in some people finding him attractive afterwards, while others grew concerned that society was growing desensitized to the victims of these “charismatic and attractive” violent perpetrators. Whether the “him” is Zac Efron or Ted Bundy is moot because it raises the same issue seen with procedurals like Criminal Minds and Law and Order: SVU – the portrayal of violent crime results in the glamorization of the perpetrator instead of the honoring of their victims. It is this divide that is currently happening with Mangione.

Luigi Mangione, 26, is charged with several federal and state crimes after being arrested for the murder of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, in Manhattan on December 4, 2024. This has caused a full-scale media storm. People are glorifying him, as portrayed by young women sending him letters instead of condemning him for murder. In February 2025, HBO released a documentary about his case that has since raised questions about pretrial publicity and its effect on defendants’ constitutional rights. Mangione’s defense has specifically taken issue with NYPD detectives and NYC Mayor Eric Adams being featured in the documentary, Mangione’s journal being read by an actor, and police paperwork being discussed that the prosecution had yet to turn over.

HBO’s “Who is Luigi Mangione” is just one in a long line of true crime documentaries available over popular streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu that have been grabbing the public’s attention and raising academic concern. While the ultimate effect of pretrial publicity is unknown in this case, it’s likely the negative portrayal of Luigi Mangione in the documentary will play a role in its outcome, for better or for worse.