Luigi Mangione Back in Court Over Brian Thompson Killing as Federal Trial Timeline Hangs in the Balance

Luigi Mangione appeared before U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett in Manhattan federal court Monday for a hearing centered on jury selection planning, as both sides prepared to discuss proposed juror questionnaires and scheduling matters tied to his upcoming trial.

The hearing comes as Mangione, 28, faces a four-count federal indictment, including murder through use of a firearm and a firearms offense, in connection with the Dec. 4, 2024, fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all federal and state charges.

In a joint letter filed last week, attorneys for both sides told the court they would be ready to address any questions Garnett had about the juror questionnaires and to discuss scheduling. The letter did not indicate the substance of those discussions ahead of the hearing.

Jury selection in the federal case is scheduled to begin Oct. 5, with the trial set to open Oct. 26, according to court filings. That timeline followed an earlier adjustment: Garnett had initially set jury selection for September before pushing it back roughly four weeks to avoid overlap with Mangione’s state trial, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 8 on murder and weapons charges in New York state court.

The federal case no longer carries the threat of capital punishment. Garnett ruled earlier this year that Mangione would not face the federal death penalty, a decision that prompted his defense team to confirm in an April court filing that a “learned counsel” attorney, typically required in capital cases, was no longer needed on the legal team. Attorney Avraham Moskowitz, who had held that role, was thanked for his contribution before stepping back from the case.

Mangione’s defense had previously argued that preparing for both trials simultaneously placed an unworkable burden on the legal team. Garnett declined to push the federal trial into 2027, instead granting a more limited delay.

A separate evidentiary issue remains unresolved: whether Mangione’s backpack, seized after his arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in December 2024, was lawfully searched. That search is central to both prosecutions because it led to the recovery of a handgun, a suppressor, and handwritten notes prosecutors plan to use as evidence. Garnett is expected to issue a written ruling at a later date, while a parallel state court hearing on the issue is scheduled for May 18.

If convicted in either case, Mangione could face a sentence of up to life in prison. The federal case includes stalking and firearms charges tied to allegations that Mangione tracked Thompson’s movements online before traveling across state lines.

No date has been set for a ruling on the outstanding suppression motions. Both proceedings continue to move on separate, occasionally overlapping, tracks as Oct. 5 approaches for federal jury selection.