Mangione Judge Blocks Evidence Taken in Initial Backpack Search
Luigi Mangione at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in an image taken from video released by Pennsylvania State Police, on Dec. 9, 2024.
Source: Pennsylvania State Police/AP PhotoA New York state court judge ruled that some evidence found in Luigi Mangione’s backpack after he was arrested for the killing of UnitedHealth Group Inc. executive Brian Thompson could not be used against him at his upcoming murder trial, but prosecutors could use other items collected that day.
Judge Gregory Carro said police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, improperly searched Mangione’s backpack without a warrant, finding such items as a gun magazine that prosecutors say matched the gun used to kill Thompson. Carro said, however, that a search later that day in December 2024, where prosecutors found a gun and notebook, was proper because officers had obtained a warrant.