Judge orders hearing on whether Luigi Mangione's backpack was lawfully searched during his arrest
Source: NBC News
Judge orders hearing on whether Luigi Mangione's backpack was lawfully searched during his arrest
The man charged in a health care executive's killing was taken into custody in a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9, 2024.
Jan. 12, 2026, 10:56 AM EST
By Adam Reiss and Daniel Arkin
In a reversal, the judge overseeing Luigi Mangione's federal trial on Monday ordered a hearing to determine whether his backpack was lawfully searched during his arrest at a McDonald's restaurant in December 2024.
Judge Margaret Garnett's decision comes days after she said she did not believe it was necessary to hold an evidentiary hearing in the trial of the 27-year-old man charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione was taken into custody in a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9, 2024. The arrest ended a five-day manhunt for the person suspected of gunning down Thompson outside the New York Hilton Midtown.
Garnett has asked U.S. government prosecutors to secure testimony from an Altoona Police Department officer concerning whether "established or standardized procedures" were followed during law enforcement's encounter with Mangione.
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Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-orders-hearing-luigi-mangiones-backpack-was-lawfully-searched-ar-rcna253595