NEW YORK (PulseWire) — The pretrial hearing for Luigi Mangione concluded on Thursday, with a judge announcing that a ruling regarding the admissibility of evidence in his upcoming trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson will be made on May 18, 2026. Over the course of the last three weeks, prosecutors called nearly 20 witnesses, primarily police officers involved in Mangione's arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in December 2024. In contrast, Mangione's legal team chose not to call any witnesses to the stand.
Mangione, who is 27, is contesting the introduction of several key pieces of evidence, including a gun and a notebook purportedly found in his backpack that prosecutors argue links him to Thompson’s shooting death on December 4, 2024, in Manhattan. According to authorities, the 9 mm handgun corresponds to the weapon used in Thompson's shooting, and the notebook allegedly contains notations expressing Mangione's intent to "wack" a health insurance executive.
Defense attorneys claim that the items discovered in Mangione’s backpack should be excluded due to a lack of a search warrant and insufficient grounds for a warrantless search. Prosecutors rebut that the search was justified as part of Mangione's arrest, intended to ensure public safety by checking for dangerous items. They state that a warrant was later obtained.
The defense has until January 29 to present their written arguments, while prosecutors are required to submit their arguments by March 5, leading up to the ruling due in May.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal murder charges, with the latter case potentially carrying the death penalty. He was apprehended after diners at a local McDonald's recognized him as the suspected shooter from New York, prompting the manager to alert authorities.
Mangione, who is 27, is contesting the introduction of several key pieces of evidence, including a gun and a notebook purportedly found in his backpack that prosecutors argue links him to Thompson’s shooting death on December 4, 2024, in Manhattan. According to authorities, the 9 mm handgun corresponds to the weapon used in Thompson's shooting, and the notebook allegedly contains notations expressing Mangione's intent to "wack" a health insurance executive.
Defense attorneys claim that the items discovered in Mangione’s backpack should be excluded due to a lack of a search warrant and insufficient grounds for a warrantless search. Prosecutors rebut that the search was justified as part of Mangione's arrest, intended to ensure public safety by checking for dangerous items. They state that a warrant was later obtained.
The defense has until January 29 to present their written arguments, while prosecutors are required to submit their arguments by March 5, leading up to the ruling due in May.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal murder charges, with the latter case potentially carrying the death penalty. He was apprehended after diners at a local McDonald's recognized him as the suspected shooter from New York, prompting the manager to alert authorities.
