A federal judge has announced a short hearing is set to take place within the next two weeks regarding the procedures used by police to seize and examine the backpack of Luigi Mangione, who was arrested in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett stated that the hearing, which is part of a death penalty case, will focus on the testimony of only one witness: a police officer from Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was taken into custody in December 2024.
Judge Garnett emphasized that the officer must possess the necessary authority and experience to discuss the established or standardized practices that were in effect during Mangione's arrest. These procedures pertain to the securing, safeguarding, and inventorying of personal property belonging to an individual arrested in a public setting. Moreover, she has instructed the prosecution to coordinate with Mangione's legal team to select an appropriate date for this hearing, thus bringing him back to court before the previously scheduled conference on January 30.
Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to federal and state murder charges, faces the potential of life imprisonment. His legal representation is attempting to prevent the prosecution from utilizing certain items discovered within the backpack, notably a firearm purported to match that used in Thompson's murder, as well as a notebook wherein Mangione allegedly expressed his intent to "wack" a health insurance executive. The defense argues that the search was conducted unlawfully because the police had not secured a warrant prior to examining the backpack.
The unfolding events began when law enforcement officers searched Mangione's backpack at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona while he was eating breakfast on December 9, 2024. This incident occurred merely five days after Thompson was fatally shot while approaching a Manhattan hotel for a UnitedHealth Group investor conference. Surveillance footage revealed a masked gunman ambushing Thompson from behind. Altoona is approximately 230 miles (370 kilometers) west of Manhattan.
Prosecutors contend that the officers conducted a lawful search, adhering to Altoona police protocols that necessitate a prompt examination of a suspect's possessions for potentially dangerous items during the arrest. They later obtained a warrant. Testimonies from officers during a recent court hearing indicated that among the initial items discovered at McDonald's was a loaded gun magazine.
The search of the backpack continued at the police station, where officers found not only the gun and a silencer but also what is classified as an inventory search. This inventory search, which is mandated by Altoona police policy, involved cataloging every item found within the suspect's belongings, including the notebook and other notes that appeared to be to-do lists and potential getaway plans.
Legal standards governing how police obtain search warrants are often intricate and contentious in criminal cases. To assist in her evaluation, Judge Garnett has requested that federal prosecutors provide her with a copy of the affidavit submitted for the federal search warrant related to this case. Mangione's defense argues that the pre-warrant search of the backpack might have influenced how the affidavit was drafted; however, prosecutors maintain that the affidavit did not reference specific details concerning items like the notebook writings.
