Luigi Mangione returned to Manhattan criminal court on 18 May 2026 for pretrial rulings on whether prosecutors may use key physical evidence and statements in his New York state murder trial.
At 10AM, a handcuffed Mangione entered the packed courtroom in a dark navy suit and blue checkered shirt.
Embed from Getty ImagesMonday’s hearing marked the first time since December 2024 that proceedings in Mangione’s state case were video recorded. A court spokesperson said it remains undecided whether the September trial will also be recorded.
In a mixed decision, Judge Gregory Carro suppressed items recovered from the warrantless search of Mangione’s backpack in the Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald’s where Mangione was arrested, including a loaded magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet and computer chip. Judge Carro reasoned that police had unlawfully searched the backpack..
The decision prompted gasps from the courtroom, while Mangione suddenly leaned back in his chair but maintained his solemn expression.
However, he allowed evidence recovered later during an inventory search at the Altoona police station, including a handgun with a loaded magazine, suppressor, USB drive, and red notebook, to be presented to the jury.
“The second magazine is still admitted; it is just the first magazine from the McDonald’s that will be kept from the jury,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Joel Seidemann told The Oxford Blue after court adjourned.
Prosecutors allege that Mangione fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4th, 2024, in an attack motivated by hostility toward the health insurance industry. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The decision came after December 2025 suppression hearings over whether the challenged statements and physical evidence could be used before a jury at trial. Over three weeks, the court heard testimony from 17 witnesses and reviewed body-worn camera footage from Altoona police.
The defence had sought to suppress the backpack and its contents, arguing that police conducted an unconstitutional warrantless search before obtaining a search warrant.
It further asked the court to exclude statements he made to officers at the McDonald’s, at the police station and while in custody, arguing that police questioned him in violation of his Miranda rights. In the United States, Miranda warnings must generally be given before police question a suspect who is in custody, or not free to leave. The warnings advise suspects of their constitutional right to remain silent and to an attorney.
On these motions, Judge Carro found that Mangione was in custody by about 9:47 a.m., after more than eight officers arrived and effectively surrounded him, but before Miranda warnings were given at about 9:48 a.m. Responses to certain questions after then that Mangione made in the McDonald’s, including why he had lied about his name and whether he had a fake ID, are thus suppressed.
Judge Carro also ruled that statements Mangione later made to Pennsylvania correctional officers in Huntingdon Correction Institute, where Mangione was initially incarcerated, were admissible, finding that they were spontaneous or part of casual conversation rather than the product of interrogation.
A virtual hearing was scheduled for 3 June to discuss scheduling and any outstanding matters before the state trial begins 8 September, which is forecasted to last approximately six weeks.
Outside the courthouse, fans of Mangione who attended as press made several comments to reporters condemning violence. Being one of the first reporters to publish on the issue and thereafter receive vitriolic backlash from “fangirls,” I found it striking.
Promptly after making the comments, their receiving press credentials quickly prompted viral condemnation and a statement from the New York City Press Office that it would review its credentialing process.
Mainstream celebrities, including Whoopi Goldberg and Piers Morgan, even criticised the decision.
“These individuals do not represent the views of Luigi, nor the tens of thousands who have shown their support from around the world. The only people who speak for Luigi are his attorneys.” Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo wrote in a statement hours later. “We condemn these vile and irresponsible statements that have no place in the discourse around these cases.”
Friedman Agnifilo has previously stated that Mangione “does not support violent actions” and requested that he not be associated with “unrelated” condoning of political violence.
The ruling gives both sides a partial victory: prosecutors retain some of the most significant alleged evidence, while the defence succeeded in excluding several items and statements obtained during the early stages of Mangione’s arrest.
Mangione is also represented by Marc Agnifilo and Jacob Kaplan, with Sofia Agnifilo and Bella Irwin serving as paralegals.
The prosecution is led by Manhattan ADA Seidemann, with ADAs Kristin Bailey and Zachary Kaplan also appearing for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.