New York judge admits gun and writings in Mangione trial, suppresses McDonald’s evidence
Judge Gregory Carro ruled that a firearm and notebook found at a police station are admissible, while items recovered during an initial stop in Pennsylvania are excluded from proceedings.
A New York judge has determined that a firearm and writings recovered from Luigi Mangione’s backpack are admissible evidence in his state murder trial, while suppressing other items seized during an initial police encounter in Pennsylvania. Judge Gregory Carro’s ruling on Monday allows prosecutors to present the alleged murder weapon and a notebook to a jury, marking a significant development in the case against the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Carro ruled that several other items, including a magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet, and computer chip, must be suppressed. The judge determined these items were recovered as part of an "improper and warrantless search" of Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in December 2024. The defence team had sought to exclude all evidence from this initial stop, arguing that police lacked the necessary warrants and conducted unlawful questioning.
The court also excluded specific lines of questioning from the initial encounter, particularly those regarding Mangione lying about his name and possessing fake identification. However, Carro permitted prosecutors to admit evidence from later questioning once Mangione was in custody. This partial suppression represents a concession to the defence, though the admission of the gun and writings ensures that critical evidence remains available for the state’s case.
Mangione, who was 26 at the time of his arrest following a nationwide manhunt, faces state charges including second-degree murder, firearms offences, and stalking. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges and is also facing separate federal charges to which he has similarly pleaded not guilty. The shooting of Thompson, a high-profile executive in the US healthcare sector, occurred on a Manhattan street in December 2024.
During the brief hearing, Mangione appeared in court wearing a navy-blue suit and whispered to an attorney while his lead lawyers, Karen Friedman Agnifilo and Marc Agnifilo, conferred with the judge and prosecutors. The state trial is expected to commence in September, where the admissibility of the remaining evidence will be central to the proceedings.
