There was no shortage of high-profile criminal cases in 2025, many of which illustrated that sometimes reality is wilder than fiction. Here are five that were at the forefront of the conversation and captured attention countrywide.
1. United States vs. Luigi Mangione
A murder charge rocked the country at the end of last year, with a highly publicized case playing out 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 when Thompson was walking in Midtown Manhattan. The story and Mangione’s mugshot soon became viral due to his young age and appearance, eliciting internet “fans” who shared their support.
While the crime sparked public discussion regarding the state of the healthcare industry, Mangione pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
In September of this year, Mangione’s terror-related murder charges were dismissed by a New York judge, though his second-degree murder charge still stands, and he could face life in prison if convicted.
After the conclusion of December’s pre-trial hearing, regarding whether an illegal search and seizure was performed at the time of Mangione’s arrest, a New York judge said he expects to issue a decision on May 18 regarding what, if any, evidence will be excluded from the trial.
A trial date is also expected to be set at that time.
2. State of Pennsylvania vs. Bryan Kohberger
Widely known as the Idaho Student Murder Trial, this case began in 2022 when Bryan Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary involving a group of students attending the University of Idaho.
At the time, Kohberger, a first-semester doctoral student in criminology at the university, was appointed a 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, though Kohberger agreed to a plea deal just weeks before it was set to begin.
To avoid the death penalty, he pleaded guilty to all counts against him, a deal which came with four consecutive life sentences to be served in prison without the possibility of parole, along with additional sentencing for 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 several decades, against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, concluded on July 2, 2025.
Federal charges against Combs included sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation for the purpose of prostitution, the last of which he was found guilty by a jury.
Despite lengthy testimonies and evidence against Combs, including most notably from Combs’ long-time ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, he was sentenced to a little over four years in federal 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 pushed back, allegedly due to reports of rule violations involving alcohol consumption. Currently, he is scheduled to get out of 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 stood 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 occurred nearly a year after the first prosecution against Read ended in a mistrial. Read was found not guilty on the charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene after an accident resulting in death.
She was found guilty of operating under the influence of liquor and sentenced to one year probation, as is the standard sentencing for a first-time 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 targeting her, accusing them of wrongful accusations and gross misconduct.
Some of the people named in the lawsuit submitted a filing for the case to move to federal court since part of Read’s claim includes a civil rights issue involving the Fourth Amendment.
Since its move to federal court, the judge assigned has already delayed a hearing originally scheduled for December 19 to January 6, ordering both sides to make sufficient attempts to narrow their areas of disagreement.
5. People 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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Stemming from charges filed in 2023 against Craig, he was accused of fatally poisoning his wife with protein shakes by adding cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a substance commonly found in eye drops.
The prosecution’s investigation revealed financial troubles and an affair with another woman as the motive for the murder. And, in addition to his first-degree murder conviction, the jury also found him guilty of other charges, including witness tampering, perjury and placing a hit on one of the lead investigators from behind bars.
The presiding judge sentenced Craig to life without parole plus 33 additional years (the maximum terms of his other charges) to be served consecutively.
He is currently held at the Bent County Correctional Facility in Las Animas, Colorado.
