Judge orders Altoona cop to court as Mangione hopes to have backpack search tossed

A constabulary serviceman from Altoona, Pennsylvania, is owed successful tribunal contiguous to attest astir the department's protocols connected handling the idiosyncratic spot of an arrested fishy arsenic accused assassin Luigi Mangione hopes to person grounds thrown retired of the national lawsuit against him.

When constabulary arrested him 5 days aft the ambush execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, prosecutors said they recovered anti-insurance manufacture writings successful his backpack on with the suspected execution limb and different evidence.

The New York City shooting happened successful beforehand of a surveillance camera, and constabulary released different surveillance images successful a wanted poster amid a nationwide manhunt.

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Luigi Mangione appears successful Manhattan Supreme Court for a suppression proceeding arsenic some sides hole to wrapper up arguments, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.  (Curtis Means for Daily Mail via Pool)

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Customers and unit astatine an Altoona McDonald's spotted Mangione days aboriginal eating meal and called police, starring to his arrest.

Mangione's lawyers person taken contented with the hunt of his belongings, which they accidental happened without a warrant.

They raised akin concerns successful a New York authorities court, starring to grounds from a fig of Altoona officers, the McDonald's manager and further witnesses.

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The authorities justice has not yet issued a ruling.

A subordinate of the NYPD Crime Scene Unit takes a representation of a ammunition casing recovered astatine the country wherever UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was changeable and killed successful Midtown Manhattan, successful New York City, Dec. 4, 2024. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

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Prosecutors accidental constabulary did thing incorrect and support that the grounds would person been recovered inevitably since the container was with Mangione erstwhile helium was arrested.

Judge Margaret M. Garnett ordered the officer's beingness aft oral arguments connected the defence question to suppress grounds from Mangione's backpack. She said it does not person to beryllium an serviceman progressive successful the arrest.

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The authorities was besides ordered to supply her with a transcript of the affidavit successful enactment of the national hunt warrant.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed connected Dec. 4, 2024. (Businesswire)

In a abstracted effort, the defence is vying to person the apical national charges against Mangione thrown retired — which would spare him from facing the decease punishment if convicted of the remaining charges.

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In bid for the execution complaint to autumn nether national jurisdiction, prosecutors request to amusement an underlying "crime of violence" was committed. They are alleging that was the stalking of Thompson crossed authorities lines earlier his murder.

The begetter of 2 lived and worked successful Minnesota and traveled to New York for a concern conference. He was changeable extracurricular the edifice wherever it was expected to beryllium held.

A surveillance representation released by the NYPD shows the fishy successful the shooting decease of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson connected Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (NYPD Crimestoppers)

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Following oral arguments connected the issue, Mangione's lawyers sent the justice a missive citing a Ninth Circuit determination that happened days aboriginal successful United States v. Gomez. The appellate tribunal recovered that a California instrumentality connected battle with a deadly limb does not conscionable the "crime of violence" threshold owed to ineligible technicalities.

"It’s similar a bid of dominos — the lone mode that the national authorities tin get to a decease punishment complaint successful their lawsuit is if the execution was committed during the people of a convulsive felony," said Joshua Ritter, a Los Angeles transgression defence lawyer and Fox News contributor. "And the crushed that they request that is due to the fact that they request what’s called a national hook to get them national jurisdiction. So the mode that they get that hook is done the stalking."