A New York judge rules Monday that prosecutors in Luigi Mangione’s state murder trial for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson can use certain items allegedly found in Mangione’s backpack, including a 9mm gun, a silencer and a red notebook described by prosecutors as containing a “manifesto.” According to multiple outlets, Judge Gregory Carro rejects the defense argument that those items were seized illegally before a search warrant was obtained, which gives prosecutors a partial victory on admissibility.
While the gun and notebook are allowed into evidence, reports also indicate the judge suppresses some other items tied to the same search. One outlet says suppressed items include an ammunition magazine, a cellphone, a passport, a wallet and a computer chip. Another account characterizes the firearm as 3D-printed.
Sources describe the ruling as a key step in the evidentiary disputes that shape what the jury may hear, with the decision limiting some defense arguments while still leaving parts of the evidence suppression issue for further proceedings and expert review on what the judge’s decision means for the defense’s strategy.
