Luigi Mangione’s state murder trial will not move forward next month as originally scheduled, as his attorneys seek to derail the case altogether following his unexpected guilty plea in federal court.
Jury selection for the 28-year-old’s Manhattan Supreme Court trial had been slated to begin on Sept. 8.
Instead, Justice Gregory Carro delayed Mangione’s next court date until Dec. 10, effectively putting the state trial on hold for the foreseeable future, according to court records.
Mangione matter-of-factly pleaded guilty last week to two federal stalking counts that each carry a potential life sentence.
“On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. (Brian) Thompson in Manhattan, and he died,” Mangione told the court, about the UnitedHealthcare chief executive officer he tailed and gunned down on a Midtown street.
Mangione is asking the court to dismiss the state murder case, arguing that proceeding after his federal plea would amount to “double jeopardy,” or being prosecuted twice for the same alleged crime.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, however, has made clear it intends to fight to keep the prosecution active.
“While federal sentencing is pending, we are prepared to litigate the defense motions. The Manhattan DA’s Office remains committed to seeking justice for Mr. Thompson and his family,” a spokesperson said in a statement last week.
Carro directed prosecutors to submit their legal arguments by Oct. 9, while Mangione’s response is due by Oct. 30.
Mangione, the scion of a prominent Maryland family and an Ivy League university graduate, said he targeted Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two because of a personal grudge against the health insurance industry.
RELATED: Alex Murdaugh Wins Key Court Ruling Before Murder Retrial
Mangione pleaded guilty last week in a calm, matter-of-fact appearance to two federal stalking charges, each of which carries the possibility of a life sentence.
He left bullet casings at the scene with the words “delay” and “deny” etched into them, a nod to language insurers allegedly use to dodge paying out customers’ claims, according to prosecutors.
“On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan, and he died,” the heir to a well-known Maryland family told the court.
He’s set to be sentenced in the federal case on Dec. 18.
He is charged with second-degree murder and illegal weapons possession in the state case.
