Luigi Mangione will not face a jury until 2027, after a federal judge pushed back his long-awaited trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, marking another major delay in one of the most closely watched murder cases in the United States.

On Monday, June 29, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett ordered that Mangione’s federal trial — which centers on stalking charges tied to Thompson’s December 2024 death — will now begin on Jan. 25, 2027. Jury selection is scheduled to start even earlier, on Jan. 5, according to court scheduling decisions reported by ABC News and Fox News.

The judge said the previously planned November 2026 start date was no longer workable due to the scope of the proceedings, legal filings, and coordination required in the case, according to reporting from both outlets.

Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to all federal charges. He also faces a separate and parallel state prosecution in New York, where he is charged with second-degree murder, weapons possession, and forgery. That trial is currently scheduled to begin on Sept. 8, 2026, in New York State Supreme Court.

The overlapping cases have turned Mangione’s prosecution into a complex legal battle spanning both state and federal courts, with prosecutors and defense attorneys navigating competing timelines, evidence disputes, and constitutional challenges.

Federal prosecutors allege Mangione stalked Thompson in the days leading up to the killing, ultimately ambushing him outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4, 2024, during an investors’ conference. Authorities say Thompson was shot and killed in what prosecutors have described as a targeted attack.

Five days later, Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, ending a nationwide search that had already drawn intense media attention.

Inside his backpack, police reportedly found a notebook that contained writings described by investigators as a “manifesto” expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry and referencing a desire to target an insurance executive.

That notebook has since become a key piece of evidence in the case. Last month, a New York State judge ruled that the contents of the writings can be presented at trial, rejecting defense arguments that the material was obtained through an unconstitutional search.

Mangione’s attorneys had challenged both the search of his belongings and the seizure of a firearm allegedly found in the same backpack, arguing that key evidence should be suppressed. The court’s ruling allows prosecutors to introduce that material when the case eventually reaches trial.

Despite those setbacks, Mangione has maintained a not guilty plea in both the federal and state cases.

At one point, according to ABC News reporting, his defense team also explored the possibility of a psychiatric defense strategy in the state case, though that approach was later abandoned.

The case has drawn unusual levels of public attention, not only because of the identity of the victim — a high-profile healthcare executive — but also because of broader national debates surrounding the U.S. healthcare system.

Mangione, a former Ivy League student, has become a deeply polarizing figure in the public conversation surrounding the case. While prosecutors portray him as a calculated killer who stalked and targeted Thompson, some segments of the public have reacted to the case through the lens of frustration with the insurance industry.

A December 2024 Emerson College poll found that 41% of respondents aged 18 to 29 described the actions of Thompson’s killer as “acceptable,” highlighting a striking generational divide in reactions to the case.

That sentiment has contributed to an unusual phenomenon surrounding Mangione’s court appearances, where supporters have occasionally gathered outside proceedings, turning pretrial hearings into tightly controlled but highly watched public events.

Law enforcement officials and prosecutors have repeatedly emphasized that public opinion does not change the seriousness of the charges Mangione faces. If convicted in federal court, he could face significant prison time for the stalking-related charges connected to Thompson’s death.

Meanwhile, the state case carries its own potential penalties, including a lengthy sentence if Mangione is found guilty of second-degree murder.

The dual prosecutions also raise logistical challenges. Legal experts have noted that evidence, witness testimony, and procedural rulings in one case could potentially influence the other, even though the trials are being handled in separate jurisdictions.

For now, both cases remain in pretrial phases, with extensive legal filings expected over the coming months and years.

Prosecutors are continuing to build their case around surveillance evidence, forensic findings, and digital materials allegedly linking Mangione to Thompson’s final days. Defense attorneys, meanwhile, are expected to continue challenging the admissibility of key evidence, including materials recovered from Mangione’s belongings and statements made during the investigation.

Mangione remains in custody as he awaits trial.

Court officials have not publicly indicated whether further delays are possible, but the current schedule already pushes the federal proceedings more than two years beyond the original timeline.

The decision to set jury selection for early January 2027 underscores the scale and complexity of the case, which has drawn national attention since Thompson’s killing in late 2024.

For Thompson’s family, colleagues, and supporters, the extended timeline means even longer waiting before a federal courtroom determines responsibility.

For Mangione, it means nearly two more years in legal limbo as two separate criminal cases move forward on parallel tracks.

As both sides prepare for what is expected to be a highly publicized and closely watched series of trials, the case continues to stand out not only for its legal stakes, but also for the broader social tensions it has come to represent.