A gun and notebook that prosecutors say link Luigi Mangione to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson can be used as evidence at his murder trial, a judge ruled Monday, rejecting a defense argument that they were seized illegally, before a search warrant was obtained. Judge Gregory Carro's decision, five months after he held a hearing to examine how police came upon the items, is a major win for prosecutors, enabling them to show the jury a possible murder weapon and evidence they say points to motive, reports the AP. That mirrors an earlier ruling in Mangione's federal case.
The judge allowed evidence obtained during a subsequent inventory of his backpack at the police station, but said evidence found during an initial search of Mangione's backpack during his arrest at a McDonald's must be suppressed, including an ammunition magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet, and computer chip. "I find that the search of backpack at the McDonald's was an improper warrantless search," the judge said. Mangione's state murder trial is set to begin on Sept. 8. Jury selection for his federal trial, which involves stalking charges, is scheduled to start on Oct. 13. The state trial is expected to take four to six weeks. Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty in both cases. He faces life in prison if he is convicted in either one.
Police found the gun, notebook, and other items in Mangione's backpack after he was spotted eating breakfast at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9, 2024, five days after Thompson was killed outside a Manhattan hotel. The gun, a 3D-printed pistol, matches the one used to kill Thompson, prosecutors said. The notebook, which prosecutors have termed a "manifesto," describes wanting to "wack" a health insurance executive and rebelling against "the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel." Mangione's lawyers argued that the search was illegal and that the items should be excluded from his trial because police officers looked through the backpack before obtaining a warrant.
Prosecutors maintain the search was legal because it was conducted in conjunction with an arrest and officers were following Altoona police protocols that require them to check for dangerous items. Police eventually obtained a warrant. Mangione's statements to police prior to his arrest matter mainly because, as shown on body-worn camera video, he initially gave officers a fake name, Mark Rosario. He eventually acknowledged the ruse and gave his real name after police checked his phony New Jersey driver's license. The fake name gave Altoona police reason to arrest him and hold him for New York City police. "If he had provided us with his actual name, he would not have committed a crime," Officer Stephen Fox testified.
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