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By Peter Aitken
Politics Weekend Editor
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U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett ruled on Friday that police lawfully seized Luigi Mangione's backpack when they apprehended him in 2024 at a McDonald's just days after he allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Why It Matters
The 27-year-old, who was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after the shooting, is facing charges at the federal and state levels in New York and Pennsylvania.
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Mangione has pled not guilty to the charges of stalking and killing Thompson in New York City in December 2024. Prosecutors have sought the death penalty.
Part of Mangione's defense focuses on the procedures and protocols around his arrest, with his lawyers alleging police lacked a warrant to search the backpack and thus have asked for the judge to suppress any evidence obtained from it.
The shooting and subsequent criminal proceedings continue to make headlines and capture public attention. Mangione has received support from some who view his alleged actions as a stand against the health insurance industry.
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What To Know
The ruling, issued at a packed Manhattan courthouse on Friday afternoon, undermines a significant push by Mangione's defense to dismiss the case on grounds that the evidence had broken chain of custody or was illegally obtained, which would have excluded crucial evidence against him such as the alleged murder weapon and writings.
"I don't think it’s really disputed that if you’re arrested in a public place, the police are supposed to safeguard your personal property," Garnett said Friday when addressing the legality of the backpack's seizure.
However, this does not mean the evidence within the backpack is automatically admissible in the case, and Garnett will make a further ruling to determine what evidence, if any, should be suppressed, although she said she does not need a further hearing to help her determination, according to ABC News.
The remainder of Friday's hearing is expected to focus on oral arguments over a defense motion to dismiss Mangione's eligibility for the death penalty.
What People Are Saying
Prosecutor Sean Buckley in an earlier court filing, in part: "The Government searched the contents of the defendant's notebook pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant that expressly covered, among other things, handwritten materials, including notebook entries, contained within the defendant's backpack."
He continued: "To the extent that the defendant now seeks to challenge the validity of the Government's warrant -- an argument the defendant similarly did not make in either his moving or reply papers -- that argument would also fail on the merits because the warrant, which disclosed the initial search of the defendant's backpack by the Altoona Police Department, was supported by ample probable cause."
What Happens Next
The trial for Mangione could start by the end of the year, Garnett said, with jury selection potentially occurring in September before commencing the trial in December or January.
However, Garnett said the trial could start in September if the death penalty is excluded. She set a date for the next hearing for Friday, January 30.
Update 1/9/26, 3:55 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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