Jury Selection Set for Accused Assassin

Jury selection for Luigi Mangione, who is accused of being an assassin, is set to commence on September 8.

This announcement was made by U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett on Friday.

The timeline for the trial itself largely hinges on whether the death penalty is on the table. If the death penalty isn’t pursued, the trial is slated to start on October 13. However, if it does involve the death penalty, it won’t kick off until January 11, 2027.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to various state and federal charges related to the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan back in December 2024. Following a five-day manhunt, he was arrested while enjoying McMuffins and hash browns at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

The federal charges against him include using a firearm during the commission of murder, interstate stalking that resulted in death, and firing a silenced weapon. He also faced a state charge for second-degree murder, though a first-degree terrorism charge was dropped in September.

Judge Garnett will also review the legality of the search conducted on Mangione’s backpack when he was taken into custody at the McDonald’s. Federal prosecutors argue that any evidence captured from the bag should be admissible in court.

One of Mangione’s attorneys, Mark Agnifilo, has contested whether police followed proper procedure in obtaining a search warrant. He suggested that if the murder weapon was discovered, the search should have been halted so that law enforcement could seek a warrant first.

The search of the bag uncovered firearms, silencers, and notebooks, including a “manifesto” that contained a plan to “defraud” the health insurance CEO.

Reports indicate that Judge Garnett might make a decision regarding evidence-related motions and her stance on the death penalty as early as Friday, January 30.