NEW YORK (FluxDaily) — The pretrial hearing for Luigi Mangione concluded Thursday, marking a significant step in his case regarding the alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Judge Carro stated that he plans to rule in May on what evidence prosecutors can utilize during the trial. Prosecutors have completed their case after presenting nearly 20 witnesses over the past three weeks. These witnesses primarily included police officers who were involved in Mangione's arrest back in December 2024 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. In contrast, Mangione's defense team opted not to call any witnesses to the stand.
The judge set deadlines for written arguments with Mangione’s lawyers needing to submit their defenses by January 29, with prosecutors following up by March 5. The actual ruling on evidence is scheduled for May 18.
At the heart of the defense's arguments is a push to exclude key items found in Mangione's backpack—specifically a 9 mm handgun and a notebook that allegedly links him to Thompson’s shooting on December 4, 2024. Prosecutors argue that the gun was used in the murder and that the notebook's contents include a note where Mangione expresses an intent to “wack” a health insurance executive.
Mangione’s lawyers argue that the evidence should be ruled inadmissible since police conducted a search without a warrant during the arrest, claiming there were insufficient grounds for such a warrantless search.
Prosecutors counter that the search was legitimate as it coincided with an arrest, intended to ensure there were no hazardous items that could pose a risk to officers or the public. They later obtained a search warrant to validate their actions.
Facing state and federal murder charges, Mangione has pleaded not guilty. This hearing focuses solely on his state case, with a similar exclusion motion being launched for the federal charges, where prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty.
Notably, Mangione was apprehended after patrons recognized him dining at a McDonald's in Altoona, where he was reported to resemble the shooter involved in the high-profile case from New York.
