The BareStory
A federal judge on Monday ordered an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the seizure and search of Luigi Mangione’s backpack following his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, were lawful. The order by Judge Margaret Garnett reverses a previous decision in which she stated such a hearing was unnecessary. Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City in 2024.
Judge Garnett cited arguments made by counsel during a Friday court appearance and the "seriousness of the charges" as reasons for her change in position. The hearing, scheduled to take place within the next two weeks, will include testimony from an Altoona police officer regarding the department's procedures for inventorying personal property after an arrest in a public place. The judge noted that the testifying officer does not need to be one of the personnel directly involved in Mangione's arrest.
Defense attorneys are seeking to prevent evidence found in the backpack—which reportedly includes the alleged murder weapon—from being used in the federal case. Similar motions to suppress evidence have been filed in state court, where Mangione also faces charges. He has entered not guilty pleas in both jurisdictions.
The defense team has also asked the court to bar the death penalty. Judge Garnett indicated that the decision on capital punishment will affect the trial schedule. If the death penalty remains an option, the trial is anticipated to begin in late 2026 or early 2027; if it is removed, proceedings could start as early as October.
How it may affect me
As a U.S. reader:
The hearing on police inventory protocols may clarify the standards law enforcement must follow when searching and cataloging personal property seized during arrests in public spaces.
You can expect the trial timeline to shift significantly based on the death penalty ruling, with proceedings either starting this October or delayed until late 2026.
The court's decision on the suppression motion will determine whether key evidence, including the alleged murder weapon, is admissible in the federal case.
