Manhattan DA wants to try alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione in state court first, before feds

Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News on Jan 28, 2026

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NEW YORK — State prosecutors in Manhattan on Wednesday pushed to try Luigi Mangione for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in July, before President Trump’s Justice Department presents its case to a jury in federal court.

The defense quickly pushed back on the request as unrealistic.

In a letter to Justice Gregory Carro, Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann said New York State should get to put on its case first, as local law enforcement took the lead on the investigation into the Dec. 4, 2024, killing and DA Alvin Bragg’s office filed charges first.

“Scores of NYPD detectives worked around the clock to find Mr. Thompson’s killer. Specialized NYPD units actively participated in the investigation, including ballistics analysis, latent print analysis, and the crime scene unit. The District Attorney’s Office drafted countless court processes to acquire necessary evidence,” Seidemann wrote.

“The State has an overriding interest in trying this defendant for the cold-blooded execution of Brian Thompson,” the prosecutor later wrote. “It resulted in the tragic death of a guest to our city on our streets.”

Judge Margaret Garnett, presiding over Mangione’s federal case, has scheduled jury selection to begin on Sept. 8, with testimony to begin in October this year or in January of 2027, depending on how she rules on Mangione’s bid to bar the Trump Justice Department from seeking the death penalty.

In a statement, Mangione’s attorney said the DA’s request was “unrealistic,” and that his legal team would need the rest of the year to prepare for the federal trial.

“This is the first that the defense is hearing about this request. The federal government already has a firm trial date set in September,” Karen Friedman Agnifilo said.

“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.”

Mangione, 27, of Maryland, has pleaded not guilty in both cases and to lower-level state charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested at a McDonald’s allegedly carrying a fake ID five days after Thompson’s killing. Authorities say a manager at the fast-food restaurant called 911 after customers recognized Mangione from wanted posters.

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