As the calendar turns to 2026, the court docket continues to evolve rather than conclude, with high-profile cases poised to unfold in the new year.
For the accused and the public alike, many questions remain unresolved, and future court dates are still to be determined.
Here is the current status and anticipated developments:
Luigi Mangione is set to appear in Manhattan Supreme Court for a suppression hearing as both sides gear up to finalize their arguments on Thursday, December 18, 2025. (Curtis Means for Daily Mail via Pool)
Luigi Mangione
The 27-year-old, accused of being a hired killer, reportedly followed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson to a Manhattan hotel, shooting him in the back outside the venue before escaping, sparking a five-day manhunt. He was eventually apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, approximately 280 miles from the original crime scene.
Mangione is facing charges in New York, Pennsylvania, and federal courts, yet trial dates for these cases have yet to be scheduled.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty.
Next hearing: Jan. 9 (Federal)
Tyler Robinson, accused of the murder of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
Tyler Robinson
The 22-year-old from southern Utah is accused of fatally shooting Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk from a sniper’s perch during a public speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Sept. 10, 2025.
He’s due in court on Jan. 16, 2026, for a preliminary hearing, in which prosecutors are expected to call witnesses to the stand to establish probable cause before the case heads to trial.
The hearing gives Robinson’s defense team a chance to cross-examine those witnesses, and the proceeding could reveal previously undisclosed evidence in the case.
Robinson has not yet entered a plea.
Next hearing: Jan. 16
Rex Heuermann appears in Judge Tim Mazze’s courtroom with his attorney Michael Brown at Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, New York on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (James Carbone/Newsday via Pool)
Rex Heuermann
The 62-year-old architect is awaiting trial on more than half a dozen murder charges in connection with numerous deaths, years apart, in one of the country’s most infamous serial killer cases.
According to prosecutors, the accused killer lived a quiet life in suburban Massapequa Park, New York, just east of New York City, walking to the train every day in a suit and carrying a briefcase.
However, authorities allege, he had a dark side — torturing and mutilating diminutive women, whose full or partial remains were found dumped along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach, or in the woods of eastern Long Island.
Some experts have predicted additional victims may be identified, resulting in more charges, before he ever heads to trial.
Heuermann currently faces 10 charges of first- and second-degree murder in connection with the slayings of seven women going back to 1993. He faces life in prison without parole if convicted.
Heuermann has pleaded not guilty.
Next hearing: Jan. 13
Rob Reiner (center), with his wife Michele Singer and son Nick Reiner, attends Teen Vogue’s Back-to-School Saturday kick-off event at The Grove on Aug. 9, 2013, in Los Angeles, California. (Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Teen Vogue)
Nick Reiner
The troubled son of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner is accused of killing both of his parents in a knife attack after a public spat at an exclusive Christmas party hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien.
Both Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were killed with multiple stab wounds, according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office.
Nick Reiner could face the potential death penalty if convicted, although California has placed a moratorium on executions, and his attorneys are expected to present an insanity defense after reports that the 32-year-old has been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Next hearing: Jan. 7
Alex Murdaugh, right, is shown here with his family. (Fox News)
Alex Murdaugh
Convicted of gunning down his wife, Maggie, 52, and son, Paul, 22, the disgraced former South Carolina attorney has an appeal pending.
Murdaugh’s attorney, Dick Harpootlian, told Fox News Digital in late December that he is “cautiously optimistic” that a guilty plea from the court clerk involved in Murdaugh’s case could pave the way for a new trial.
Rebecca Hill, the former court clerk in Colleton County, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, perjury and other misconduct in connection with the trial that led to Murdaugh’s conviction.
The 57-year-old Murdaugh is serving life in prison without parole.
Next hearing: Feb. 11
JonBenét Ramsey, found murdered in her Boulder home in 1996, may see her case revived as new DNA technology offers hope for answers. (Fox Nation)
Special mention: The unsolved murder of JonBenet Ramsey
The year 2026 marks three full decades since JonBenet’s mysterious murder a day after Christmas in 1996.
While no suspect has been identified, forensic investigators continue to make progress in other cold cases with investigative genetic genealogy and advances in DNA testing. In that regard, the murder in Boulder, Colorado, may be closer to being solved than ever before.
