Luigi Mangione’s murder trial is still months away, but at a pre-trial hearing this week, a New York judge delivered a huge blow to the prosecution. On Monday, Judge Gregory Carro ruled that certain evidence “must be suppressed” from the court case.
Prosecutors can however use some items found in a backpack
An ammo magazine, a cellphone, and a computer chip are among the key pieces of evidence that a judge has ruled inadmissible in Luigi’s trial. These items – along with a passport and wallet – were found in the accused killer’s backpack after his 2024 arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s.
The judge said that the above evidence was recovered as part of an “improper and warrantless search” of Luigi. Other items found on him that day, including a gun and a notebook, will be permitted in court, however.
The notable difference between the admissible items and those that aren’t is where and when the police found them. Items that were removed from Luigi’s backpack during the McDonald’s search have been ruled out. But items found during the “inventory search” later at the station have been permitted.
Beyond the items found on Luigi, there’s more evidence that has been thrown out by the judge. He has ruled that some of the questioning Luigi faced at the fast food chain must be excluded from the trial. This follows the accused’s claim that investigators questioned him before reading his Miranda rights.
Luigi is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street in December 2024. He is facing more than 10 criminal charges across two separate state and federal cases. He has pleaded not guilty, but faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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