Luigi Mangione is Back in Court Over Disputed Backpack Evidence

Luigi Mangione is scheduled to return to court Friday as a federal judge considers whether police lawfully searched and seized his backpack following his arrest in Pennsylvania, a decision that could affect what evidence is allowed in his federal death penalty case, as reported by The New York Post.

Mangione, 27, is charged in the killing of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, who was shot to death in Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both federal and state murder charges, which carry the possibility of life in prison.

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Margaret Garnett, a U.S. District Judge, ordered a hearing to determine whether Altoona, Pennsylvania, police followed proper procedures when they seized and searched Mangione’s backpack during his arrest on Dec. 9, 2024, five days after Thompson’s killing.

Altoona is located roughly 230 miles west of Manhattan.

Garnett said the hearing will be limited to testimony from a single witness — an officer from the Altoona Police Department.

The judge specified that the officer must have “sufficient authority and experience to testify about the established or standardized procedures in use” at the time of Mangione’s arrest for securing, safeguarding, and inventorying the personal property of someone arrested in a public place.

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The officer does not need to have personally participated in Mangione’s arrest, Garnett said, because the focus of the hearing is on departmental procedures rather than individual actions.

Mangione is also scheduled to appear in federal court again on Jan. 30 for a status conference. Garnett has previously said jury selection in the case could begin as early as September.

The legal dispute centers on items recovered from Mangione’s backpack, including a firearm that police say matches the weapon used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which Mangione allegedly described an intent to “wack” a health insurance executive.

Defense attorneys are asking the court to suppress that evidence, arguing the search was unconstitutional because officers had not yet obtained a warrant.

Thompson was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind.

According to testimony presented at earlier hearings, Mangione was arrested while eating breakfast at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona.

Officers began searching the backpack at the restaurant, where they found a loaded gun magazine. Police later continued searching the bag at a police station and recovered a gun and a silencer.

Prosecutors argue the search was lawful under Altoona police protocols, which they say require officers to promptly search a suspect’s belongings at the time of arrest to ensure there are no dangerous items.

They also contend that an inventory search — a process that involves cataloging all seized property — is required under department policy.

During that inventory search, officers found the notebook and other writings, including what appeared to be to-do lists and possible getaway plans.

Mangione’s lawyers maintain that searching the backpack before obtaining a warrant may have influenced how the warrant application was written.

As part of her review, Garnett ordered federal prosecutors to provide a copy of the affidavit used to obtain the federal search warrant.

Prosecutors have said the affidavit did not include specific details about items found in the backpack, including the notebook writings.

A state judge overseeing related charges has said he will rule on evidence issues in that case in May.

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