A New York judge handed prosecutors a major courtroom victory Monday in the murder case against accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione, ruling that jurors will be allowed to see the alleged murder weapon, suppressor, and writings tied to the brutal execution-style killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Gregory Carro ruled that while Altoona, Pennsylvania police improperly searched Mangione’s backpack immediately after his arrest at a McDonald’s in December 2024, a later search conducted at the police station was lawful — preserving some of the prosecution’s most critical evidence.
That evidence includes a 3D-printed 9mm handgun equipped with a silencer and a red notebook prosecutors describe as a manifesto outlining anti-corporate grievances and hostility toward the healthcare industry.
Mangione, 28, is accused of ambushing the father of two from behind outside a Manhattan Hilton hotel on Dec. 4, 2024, as the healthcare executive walked to an investor conference. Surveillance footage captured the final moments before the gunman opened fire and fled on a bicycle, launching a nationwide manhunt that ended five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona.
Authorities say alert customers and employees recognized Mangione from widely circulated wanted posters and called police.
Defense attorneys argued that Altoona officers violated Mangione’s constitutional rights by searching his backpack without a warrant after he was already detained and separated from the bag. Judge Carro agreed in part, ruling the initial McDonald’s search unconstitutional because the backpack was no longer within Mangione’s reach and posed no immediate threat to officers or the public.
“I find that the search of the backpack at the McDonald’s was an improper warrantless search,” Carro said during Monday’s hearing.
As a result, several items recovered during the initial search — including loaded magazines, Mangione’s wallet, passport, cell phone, and a concealed computer chip — will be excluded from the upcoming state trial.
However, the judge determined that the later station-house search followed proper legal procedure, allowing prosecutors to retain the handgun, suppressor, and notebook that could prove devastating for the defense.
The ruling represents a significant setback for Mangione’s legal team, which had sought to suppress nearly all evidence tied to the backpack search.
Prosecutors allege Mangione’s journal contained writings criticizing what he called a healthcare system that “extracts human life force for money” and discussed targeting a “greedy” CEO to make a political statement.
The courtroom hearing also highlighted the disturbing public fascination surrounding the case. Roughly two dozen supporters attended proceedings, with some portraying Mangione as a misguided folk hero despite allegations that he carried out the cold-blooded murder of a husband and father of two.
Thompson, 50, had traveled from Minnesota to New York for business meetings with investors. His killing sent shockwaves through both corporate America and the healthcare industry.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges in both state and federal court.
In New York state court, he faces second-degree murder and multiple weapons charges. Prosecutors had originally pursued terrorism-related enhancements that could have led to life without parole, but those charges were previously dismissed.
His state trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 8.
Meanwhile, in a separate federal proceeding, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett already ruled earlier this year that the backpack evidence would be admissible in federal court. However, federal prosecutors suffered their own setback when the judge removed the possibility of the death penalty.
Mangione remains held without bail at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center alongside several other high-profile inmates, such as ousted Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, as both cases move toward trial.
Read the judge’s full ruling, first shared by Fox News:
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