A New York judge will allow a gun and writings found in Luigi Mangione's backpack after his 2024 arrest to be presented at his state murder trial over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but has ruled that other items are inadmissible. Judge Gregory Carro ruled on Monday that certain evidence 'must be suppressed, including the magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet and computer chip' found with Mangione at a Pennsylvania McDonald's. Carro stated that evidence was recovered as part of an 'improper and warrantless search' of the then-26-year-old.
However, prosecutors will be allowed to present items found during a search at a police station, including a gun and a notebook. Judge Carro also ruled that some of Mangione's questioning by the officers who initially encountered him at the Pennsylvania fast food restaurant must be excluded from trial. Those include questions about Mangione lying about his name and asking if he had a fake identification card.
Prosecutors will be able to admit evidence from later questioning when Mangione was in custody, Carro ruled. Mangione is accused of shooting and killing Thompson on a Manhattan street in December 2024. He faces state charges including second degree murder, several firearms charges, and stalking. He has pleaded not guilty and is also charged in a separate federal case, where he has also pleaded not guilty. He was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania several days after Thompson's shooting in New York following a nationwide manhunt. The evidence at stake stemmed from that encounter and the events that followed.
On 8 December 2024, Altoona police responded to a call about a man resembling publicly disseminated pictures of the suspected New York shooter sitting in a local McDonald's. Officers approached Mangione and began questioning him about his identity. While at the McDonald's, an officer searched the contents of Mangione's backpack, finding several items including a loaded magazine, a passport, and a Faraday bag.
Later, at the police station, officers found a handgun and a red journal during a more thorough search of Mangione's backpack. Mangione's defense team argued that police improperly searched his bag without a warrant and did not properly question him. Prosecutors maintained that their actions were lawful. Judge Carro concluded that Mangione's responses to officers' questions before receiving his Miranda rights could not be used at trial and found no justification for searching Mangione's bag at the McDonald's.
Despite some evidence being suppressed, prosecutors will still present crucial pieces of evidence, including the alleged murder weapon and writings by Mangione, before a jury. During a brief hearing, Mangione appeared in court dressed in a navy-blue suit and was concentrated while conferring with his attorneys. The state trial is expected to commence in September.
However, prosecutors will be allowed to present items found during a search at a police station, including a gun and a notebook. Judge Carro also ruled that some of Mangione's questioning by the officers who initially encountered him at the Pennsylvania fast food restaurant must be excluded from trial. Those include questions about Mangione lying about his name and asking if he had a fake identification card.
Prosecutors will be able to admit evidence from later questioning when Mangione was in custody, Carro ruled. Mangione is accused of shooting and killing Thompson on a Manhattan street in December 2024. He faces state charges including second degree murder, several firearms charges, and stalking. He has pleaded not guilty and is also charged in a separate federal case, where he has also pleaded not guilty. He was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania several days after Thompson's shooting in New York following a nationwide manhunt. The evidence at stake stemmed from that encounter and the events that followed.
On 8 December 2024, Altoona police responded to a call about a man resembling publicly disseminated pictures of the suspected New York shooter sitting in a local McDonald's. Officers approached Mangione and began questioning him about his identity. While at the McDonald's, an officer searched the contents of Mangione's backpack, finding several items including a loaded magazine, a passport, and a Faraday bag.
Later, at the police station, officers found a handgun and a red journal during a more thorough search of Mangione's backpack. Mangione's defense team argued that police improperly searched his bag without a warrant and did not properly question him. Prosecutors maintained that their actions were lawful. Judge Carro concluded that Mangione's responses to officers' questions before receiving his Miranda rights could not be used at trial and found no justification for searching Mangione's bag at the McDonald's.
Despite some evidence being suppressed, prosecutors will still present crucial pieces of evidence, including the alleged murder weapon and writings by Mangione, before a jury. During a brief hearing, Mangione appeared in court dressed in a navy-blue suit and was concentrated while conferring with his attorneys. The state trial is expected to commence in September.
