There was no shortage of high-profile criminal cases in 2025, many of which illustrated that reality is sometimes wilder than fiction. Here are five that have been at the forefront of the conversation and turning heads across the country.
1. United States v Luigi Mangione
A murder indictment roiled the country late last year, with a highly publicized case set in 2025. Luigi Mangione was taken into federal custody on December 19, 2024, and charged with the stalking and murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Shockingly, the crime was committed in the middle of the day as Thompson walked through Midtown Manhattan. Mangione’s story and mugshot quickly became viral due to his young age and appearance, prompting internet fans to share their support.
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While the crime sparked public debate about the state of the healthcare industry, Mangione pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
In September this year, Mangione’s terror-related murder charges were dismissed by a New York judge, although his second-degree murder charge remains and he faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Following the conclusion of a pre-trial hearing in December on whether there was an illegal search and seizure at the time of Mangione’s arrest, a New York judge said he expects to make a decision on May 18 on what evidence, if any, will be excluded from the trial.
It is expected that a trial date will also be set at that time.
2. State of Pennsylvania vs. Bryan Kohberger
The case, commonly known as the Idaho Student Murder Trial, began in 2022 when Bryan Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary involving a group of University of Idaho students.
At the time, Kohberger, a first-semester doctoral candidate in criminology at the university, was appointed public defender and held without bond at the Monroe County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania before being extradited to the Latah County Courthouse in Idaho.
A jury trial was scheduled for August 2025, although Kohberger agreed to a plea deal just weeks before it was set to begin.
To avoid the death penalty, he pleaded guilty to all charges against him, a deal that included four consecutive life sentences to be served in prison without the possibility of parole, along with additional convictions on the burglary charge, as well as restitution fines.
He is currently serving his sentence at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.
3. United States vs. Sean Combs
A case that made headlines for months, involving alleged incidents and criminal activity spanning decades, against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was concluded on July 2, 2025.
Federal charges against Combs include sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation for the purpose of prostitution, the last of which he was found guilty by a jury.
Despite lengthy testimony and evidence against Combs, including most notably that of Combs’ longtime ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, he was sentenced to just over four years in prison and will receive credit for time served.
He is serving his sentence at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey, and his release date has been postponed, reportedly due to reports of rule violations regarding alcohol consumption. He is currently scheduled to leave prison on June 4, 2028.
4. Commonwealth of Massachusetts vs. Karen Read
In a publicly controversial case that led to news documentaries and specials, Karen Read went on trial this year for the alleged murder of her boyfriend, a Boston police officer, who was found dead in the snow outside a house party in 2022.
The June 2025 trial took place nearly a year after the first prosecution against Read ended in a mistrial. Read was found not guilty on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
She was found guilty of operating under the influence of liquor and sentenced to one year of probation, as is the standard punishment for a first offense.
After three years and two trials, Read recently filed a lawsuit in state court against members of the Massachusetts State Police and several others who targeted her, accusing them of wrongful accusations and gross misconduct.
Some of the people named in the lawsuit have filed to move the case to federal court because part of Read’s claim involves a civil rights issue involving the Fourth Amendment.
Since moving to federal court, the assigned judge has already postponed a hearing originally scheduled for December 19 to January 6, ordering both sides to make sufficient efforts to narrow their differences.
5. Residents of the State of Colorado vs. James Craig
In a crime worthy of a thriller novel, Colorado dentist James Craig was found guilty of murder on July 30, 2025.
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As a result of the charges filed against Craig in 2023, he was accused of fatally poisoning his wife with protein shakes by adding cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a substance commonly found in eye drops.
The prosecutor’s investigation revealed financial problems and an affair with another woman as the motive for the murder. And in addition to his conviction for first-degree murder, the jury also found him guilty of other charges, including witness tampering, perjury and beating one of the lead investigators from behind bars.
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The presiding judge sentenced Craig to life in prison without parole plus 33 additional years (the maximum term of his other charges) to be served consecutively.
He is currently being held at the Bent County Correctional Facility in Las Animas, Colorado.
