The legal twists in the Luigi Mangione murder case took another sharp turn Monday after a New York judge ruled that some of the evidence pulled from the accused killer’s backpack will be barred from trial — while other items taken from that very same bag will still be shown to jurors.
Judge Gregory Carro’s ruling created a strange split decision that left observers scratching their heads. According to the court, police violated Mangione’s constitutional rights when they searched his backpack inside the Pennsylvania McDonald’s where he was arrested in December 2024. The reason? Officers had already moved the bag away from his immediate reach before opening it, eliminating the legal justification for a warrantless search tied to officer safety or preservation of evidence.
But the judge then ruled that a second search conducted later at the police station was lawful. That search uncovered the handgun prosecutors say Mangione used to execute UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan.
🚨 NOW: The judge has just ruled IN FAVOR of assassin Luigi Mangione by SUPPRESSING evidence the cops found inside his backpack
Utter madness.
The jury will NOT learn about:
- Bullet magazine
- Cellphone
- Passport
- Wallet
- Computer chipTOTALLY OMITTED from the jury.
The… pic.twitter.com/TizJGTbiiz
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 18, 2026
So despite the judge suppressing some evidence from the original search, prosecutors still walked away with the centerpiece of their case intact.
The jury will reportedly never hear about several items found during the initial backpack search, including a bullet magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet, and computer chip. Critics blasted the ruling almost immediately, arguing the court elevated procedural technicalities over common sense in a case involving a cold-blooded assassination.
Other evidence will remain admissible, including the alleged murder weapon, a 3D-printed suppressor, and a red notebook prosecutors describe as a disturbing collection of Mangione’s personal writings and alleged ideological grievances.
The court also ruled that most of Mangione’s statements to police can be introduced at trial, although some remarks involving an alleged fake ID were excluded because of Miranda-related issues.
Mangione, now 27, has become an unlikely folk hero among segments of the far Left after prosecutors say he gunned down Thompson outside a Midtown hotel. Thompson, a husband and father, had no personal relationship with Mangione. Authorities say the suspect targeted him largely because he represented the healthcare industry.
The future of journalism? Credentialed members of the NYC press corps came to Luigi Mangione’s hearing today to support the defendant they’re purportedly reporting on and to promote jury nullification “to the most cucked and submissive population in all of human history” pic.twitter.com/hmt7YOc2FX
— Molly Crane-Newman (@molcranenewman) May 18, 2026
That detail did little to stop online activists from romanticizing the accused killer. Demonstrators and supporters have repeatedly appeared outside court proceedings, some carrying bizarre signs and costumes that turned hearings into political theater.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to every charge in both his state and federal cases.
While prosecutors originally pursued charges that could have opened the door to capital punishment federally, a judge later dismissed the count tied to the death penalty. New York, meanwhile, effectively has no enforceable death penalty statute after years of legal challenges and political opposition.
Even without execution on the table, Mangione still faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars if convicted.
The state murder trial is currently expected to begin in September. Federal proceedings are scheduled for January 2027.