The New York judge in Luigi Mangione’s case issued a ruling on what evidence will be allowed in his upcoming trial.
The ruling settles the debate between the defense and prosecution about how police officers handled their search of Mangione after he was caught, according to Fox News.
A New York judge has ruled that some key evidence seized from Luigi Mangione's backpack during his arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald's is inadmissible at trial, while some of it can still be shown to jurors, including the suspected murder weapon.
Judge Gregory Carro's written ruling was posted online ahead of a hearing Monday morning. He agreed with the defense argument that a search of Mangione's backpack at McDonald's was unconstitutional because it had been moved away from arm's reach, however, he found that a subsequent search of the bag at the police station was lawful. During that search, an officer found the handgun allegedly used in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50.
He also found that most of Mangione's statements to police in Pennsylvania would be admissible, except for some made about his alleged fake ID after police read him his Miranda warning.
A different judge, overseeing his separate federal case, has already rejected the defense team's argument that the search was improper, and the evidence will be part of his federal trial.
It includes the alleged murder weapon, a 3D-printed silencer, the fake ID used to check into a Manhattan hostel and journals purported to rail against the health insurance industry. Mangione, 28, is accused of shooting Thompson from behind outside a Manhattan Hilton hotel on Dec. 4, 2024, as the victim was walking to a business conference.
Luigi Mangione scoring a partial victory in court because a judge ruled that evidence recovered from the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO killer’s backpack at a McDonald’s must be suppressed.
— Johnny Midnight ⚡️ (@its_The_Dr) May 18, 2026
The ruling is that the evidence includes a loaded gun magazine, a cellphone, a passport, a… pic.twitter.com/05AtydAyOw
Mangione is facing trial for the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. The shooting sparked a manhunt that ended with Mangione’s arrest days later.
After they caught up with the defendant, police searched through his backpack before obtaining a warrant. Prosecutors argued the search was legal because officers arrested him after he used false identification. They said the officers needed to make sure the bag did not contain any dangerous material before taking him into custody.
This is a significant Fourth Amendment win for the defense. The judge essentially ruled that law enforcement conducted an unlawful search of Mangione’s backpack without proper warrant or exigent circumstances. Throwing out the ammunition magazine and potentially other items found…
— Rose🌹 (@Rose8yd) May 18, 2026
The judge set Mangione’s state murder trial for June 8. However, Mangione’s lawyers argued that this timeframe would force him to face the state and federal trials within a short period of time. NBC News reported that federal prosecutors said they would not appeal a ruling that removes the death penalty as a possible punishment.
Mangione pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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