A New York courtroom delivered a split ruling Monday in the case against Luigi Mangione, the 28-year-old charged with the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in late 2024.
Justice Gregory Carro refused to block prosecutors from presenting what they describe as the murder weapon, along with a notebook allegedly containing violent writings tied to an insurance executive. The decision keeps some of the prosecution’s most dramatic evidence alive ahead of a trial scheduled to begin on September 8.
But the ruling was not a total victory for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
The judge found that police improperly searched Mangione’s backpack during his arrest in Pennsylvania without first obtaining a warrant. Because of that finding, several items recovered in the initial search — including a loaded handgun magazine, a cellphone and a computer chip — will not be allowed into evidence.
Even so, Carro approved evidence collected later during a second inspection of the backpack conducted at a police station. Prosecutors say that later search uncovered a firearm allegedly linked to the killing, along with a notebook referencing a desire to “wack” an insurance executive.
Mangione’s legal team had argued both the search and his conversations with investigators violated his constitutional rights. The court rejected the challenge to his statements, ruling that the interrogation itself was lawful.
The killing of Thompson, who headed the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, stunned corporate America when it unfolded outside a Hilton hotel hosting an investor gathering in Manhattan on December 4, 2024. Authorities say Mangione fled the city afterward and was captured in Pennsylvania following a five-day manhunt.
While public officials condemned the attack, the case also ignited heated online reactions from Americans angry over insurance costs and healthcare industry practices.
Prosecutors say their broader case stretches far beyond the disputed backpack evidence. Court filings reference DNA material, fingerprint evidence, surveillance footage collected over hundreds of hours, cellphone data and another backpack allegedly discarded during the escape from New York.
The legal battle has already reshaped the case once before. State prosecutors had initially pursued terrorism allegations, but Carro dismissed that charge, finding insufficient proof that the alleged shooting was intended to influence government policy or intimidate the public.
A separate federal prosecution also narrowed earlier this year after a judge dismissed murder and weapons charges on procedural grounds, removing the possibility of the death penalty. Mangione still faces federal stalking charges and could receive a life sentence if convicted.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all remaining charges and has remained behind bars since his arrest.
