Luigi Mangione Update (Sept. 2026): The State Murder Trial Was Supposed to Start Today

Jury selection in Luigi Mangione's New York murder case was on the calendar for this morning. It is not going forward, and the reason has been building since the middle of August.

The gist: Mangione has already pleaded guilty in federal court to stalking Thompson, and his lawyers now say that plea makes the state murder case unconstitutional. Until a judge rules on that, the state case does not move.

Was the state trial really set for today?

Yes. Jury selection in New York Supreme Court was scheduled to begin Sept. 8, 2026 — the date had already slipped once, from June.

On Aug. 17, Justice Gregory Carro put the schedule on hold. He did not dismiss anything. He gave prosecutors until Oct. 9 to answer the defense motion in writing, gave the defense until Oct. 30 to reply, and set the next appearance for Dec. 10.

So the case is not over and it is not dead. It is waiting on paper.

What did he plead guilty to in August?

Two federal counts: interstate stalking resulting in death, and stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death.

It was an open plea — no deal, no concessions, nothing traded. Prosecutors kept the right to ask for everything.

In court he said plainly that he shot Thompson on the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, and that Thompson died. He described posing as an investor with $50 billion under management to work out where Thompson would be. He tied his motive to his own health care experience after a back injury; prosecutors have noted he was never a UnitedHealthcare customer.

What is the double jeopardy argument?

His lawyers say the federal and state cases punish one act twice.

The federal counts he admitted are stalking charges that required Thompson's death as an element. The state charge is second-degree murder for the same shooting, alongside several gun possession counts, and he has pleaded not guilty to all of it.

The defense also claims the two prosecutions were coordinated in a way meant to work around double jeopardy protection. That matters because New York's statute is read as more protective of defendants than the federal rule, which generally lets a state and the federal government both prosecute.

Prosecutors have not filed their answer yet. Oct. 9 is when we find out how they frame it.

What does the December calendar look like?

Tight, and in an order worth noticing. The next state hearing lands Dec. 10; federal sentencing follows eight days later, on Dec. 18.

That means Carro is scheduled to take up the dismissal motion while the federal sentence is still unimposed. Whatever the state judge decides, the federal number arrives right behind it.

On the federal side the maximum is life. The U.S. attorney's office has said it will ask for life; federal sentencing guidelines point to something closer to 24 to 30 years.

Where does 20/20 come into it?

ABC got to this one fast. "Manhunt: Luigi Mangione and the CEO Murder — A Special Edition of 20/20" aired Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 at 10 p.m. ET, fifteen days after the shooting, and went to Hulu the next day.

The hour leaned on the search itself and on the online reaction that followed the arrest. ABC News has since kept the story going in a podcast series rather than a second broadcast hour.

If you want the show's current output instead, our recap of the Lindsay Clancy special covers the most recent new 20/20 hour, and the 20/20 archive holds the rest.

FAQ

Did Luigi Mangione's trial start today? No. The state trial was scheduled for Sept. 8 and has been postponed with no new date; the next court appearance is Dec. 10.

Has he been convicted of murder? No. He pleaded guilty to two federal stalking counts in August. The state murder charge is still pending and he has pleaded not guilty to it.

When is he sentenced? Federal sentencing is set for Dec. 18, 2026, with a possible life term.

More from the case desk

Three other hearings are on our calendar this fall: the Delphi appeal argued Sept. 21, the Kouri Richins fraud trial on Oct. 9, and the Lori Vallow Daybell appeal on Nov. 2. Everything else sits in Case Updates.

For what is actually on television this week, see this week's grid — only one of the three shows airs — or the viewing guide for channels and streaming. Release dates for the streamers themselves live on our sister site Streaming On Air.

Sources

• NBC News — Mangione pleads guilty to federal charges (Aug. 14, 2026)
• U.S. Attorney's Office, S.D.N.Y. — plea announcement
• NBC News — judge delays state murder trial (Aug. 17, 2026)
• PBS NewsHour — state trial postponed indefinitely
• ABC — "Manhunt: Luigi Mangione and the CEO Murder," a special edition of 20/20

By the True Crime On Air desk · Updated 8:40 a.m. ET