Luigi Mangione’s federal murder trial in the killing of the United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson is scheduled to start with jury selection on 8 September, a judge said on Friday, triggering one of the most eagerly anticipated criminal trials in recent US history.
Judge Margaret Garnett announced the trial date to a packed Manhattan federal courtroom shortly before an evidence-related hearing in his case.
The gunning down of Thompson on a Manhattan street triggered an intense manhunt for his killer. At the same time the shooting saw a wave of public anger at the practices of the for-profit US healthcare industry, and since his arrest Mangione has attracted a cult following of supporters.
Mangione entered the courtroom at 11.05am in khaki jail garb. He had scruffy facial hair. When Mangione walked into court, some of the approximately two dozen supporters in attendance craned their necks to get a better look.
Many of his supporters in attendance sported green, a nod to the Nintendo character with whom Mangione shares a first name. The hues ranged from olive to hunter to emerald to pine. One woman wore a pink flower crown and a coordinating furry coat.
After jury selection, the next major trial date hinges on whether Garnett decides Mangione will face the death penalty.
Donald Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, is pushing for the death penalty. Lawyers for Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty, are fighting to take that off the table.
If Mangione does not face the death penalty at trial, openings would kick off on 13 October. If Mangione does face a capital trial, openings would be expected on 11 January 2027.
Following Garnett’s scheduling announcement, Nathan Snyder, the deputy police chief of Altoona, Pennsylvania, was called to testify about search procedures during Mangione’s arrest in the town.
Garnett decided to hear testimony about search procedures following a 9 January conference, citing “the seriousness of the charges the defendant is facing”.
Altoona police encountered Mangione at a McDonald’s on 9 December 2024. Police cuffed Mangione after he provided a false ID, and an officer started searching his backpack. The officer encountered a firearm, loaded gun magazine and notebook.
Mangione’s team contends that his backpack was illegally searched upon arrest. They contend that police were wrong to go through his bag without a warrant and are asking for that evidence to be barred from his trial.
Garnett is expected to rule on the evidence issue at a later date.
