State Seeks July 1 Trial For Luigi Mangione — Ahead Of Federal Death-Penalty Case

New York prosecutors on Wednesday asked a state court to schedule Luigi Mangione’s trial to begin on July 1, seeking to hold the state case before a separate federal prosecution later this year. Mangione, 27, is accused of ambushing and fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Midtown Manhattan sidewalk on Dec. 4, 2024.

State Filing And Remaining Issues

In a letter to state Judge Gregory Carro, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann wrote that the state has a strong interest in trying Mangione promptly for what prosecutors called the “cold-blooded execution of Brian Thompson.” The filing argued that “state interests would be unfairly prejudiced by an unnecessary delay of this important matter until after defendant’s federal trial.”

Seidemann said the state case has only a few unresolved matters: a decision on a suppression-of-evidence hearing and the defendant's compliance with reciprocal discovery obligations. The prosecutor also wrote that the defense has not yet produced discovery materials requested by the state.

Federal Case And Defense Response

Mangione also faces federal charges. Jury selection in the federal case has been tentatively scheduled for Sept. 8, and federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett is expected to rule soon on whether the federal prosecution may proceed as a capital case.

“The State has an overriding interest in trying this defendant for the cold-blooded execution of Brian Thompson,” wrote Joel Seidemann.

“The federal government already has a firm trial date set in September,” said defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo of Agnifilo Intrater LLP. “As a practical matter, Mr. Mangione’s defense team will require the remainder of the year to prepare for that trial. We will respond to the Court about this unrealistic request in the coming days.”

Allegations And Investigation

Authorities say Mangione approached Thompson from behind around 6:44 a.m. as Thompson walked to a UnitedHealth Group investor conference, then fired twice with a 9 mm handgun, striking him once in the back and once in the leg. Investigators recovered two spent shell casings at the scene that had the words “deny” and “depose” etched on them, and a bullet bearing the word “delay,” according to officials.

The shooting set off a widespread manhunt. Police arrested Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after the killing. A New York County grand jury indicted him on Dec. 17, 2024, and the Justice Department announced federal charges two days later. Mangione is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

Next Steps

Court filings and responses from both the state and defense teams are expected in the coming days as judges consider whether to set the July 1 trial date or to sequence proceedings differently given the pending federal schedule.

Source: Originally published on NBCNews.com; reporting summarized and edited for clarity.