Mangione pre-trial hearing wraps, but judge won’t rule on evidence for months : NPR
Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court for an evidentiary hearing on Thursday, December 18, 2025, in New York.
Luiz C. Ribeiro/Pool New York Post
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Luiz C. Ribeiro/Pool New York Post
NEW YORK — After nearly three weeks of testimony, preliminary suppressive hearings in New York State’s Luigi Mangione case are finally over. The 27-year-old was arrested a year ago for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and faces charges of murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument.
Those hearings will ultimately determine what evidence can or cannot be presented during the trial — including the contents of a backpack Mangione had at the time of his arrest, including a 9mm handgun, a loaded gun magazine and a silencer, and a red notebook in which prosecutors allege Mangione wrote down his intention to “wax” a health insurance executive.
The defense argued that this evidence should not be admissible in court because it was obtained without a search warrant.
Prosecutors say a search warrant was not required at the time of Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
After weeks of hearings, Judge Carro will rule on whether or not the backpack Mangione carried during his arrest, which contained a handgun, can be used as evidence at his trial.
Manhattan District Attorney’s Office
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Manhattan District Attorney’s Office
Mangione’s lawyers also argue that statements made to law enforcement before Mangione was informed of his right to remain silent should be inadmissible.
It will be up to Judge Gregory Carro to determine whether this evidence will be admitted or not. He said he would rule on May 18.
This pretrial hearing gave the public a unique insight into some of the most crucial evidence in the case. Over a three-week period, several officers involved in Mangione’s arrest testified, and body-worn camera footage from multiple angles shows officers approaching Mangione and searching his backpack while Christmas music played in the background.
The evidence in question would apply to Mangione’s trial in New York state, although Mangione also faces separate charges. federal fees. If convicted federally, he could face the death penalty.
The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk last year sparked a national dialogue on the high cost of health care in the United States, which has increased in recent months as uncertainty threatens on changes to the Affordable Care Act.
He had previously been charged with murder as an act of terrorism in New York State, but in September Judge Carro rejected the accusationsaying prosecutors “appear to confuse an ideological belief with the intent to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.”
Mangione’s next appearance is scheduled for Jan. 9 in federal court.
Additional reporting was provided by Walter Wuthmann of WNYC.
