Luigi Mangione appeared in court Tuesday for what is expected to be his final pretrial hearing before his state murder trial commences next month. Mangione, 28, is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, on December 4, 2024, as Thompson was leaving a Manhattan hotel. Thompson was shot in the back and leg.
Mangione faces a murder charge in the state trial, scheduled to begin September 8. He also faces stalking charges in a federal trial set to start October 13. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
During the Tuesday hearing, Judge Gregory Carro addressed concerns raised by Mangione's defense regarding press access during jury selection. Defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo had argued in a court filing that state court officials and prosecutors had collaborated on a media plan that would limit press attendance to six select reporters. Judge Carro rejected this accusation, stating that the district attorney's office was not involved in these discussions and had no role in determining public access. The judge characterized the defense's claims as a "reckless mischaracterization" of the court's efforts to ensure transparency.
Carro confirmed that an overflow room will be available for additional members of the press during jury selection. He also ruled that all jurors will remain anonymous. "So, I don’t want to hear any more about this," the judge stated regarding the press access dispute.
Separately, a ruling from May by Judge Carro addressed evidence found in Mangione's backpack after his arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald's five days after Thompson's killing. Officers reported finding a 9 mm untraceable ghost handgun with a 3D-printed handle, a homemade silencer, hollow-point bullets, several USB drives, a digital camera, and a significant amount of U.S. and foreign currency. The backpack also contained a red notebook described by prosecutors as Mangione's manifesto.
In his May ruling, Carro determined that Altoona officers conducted an "improper, warrantless search" of the backpack, and therefore, evidence found during that search must be suppressed. This includes a loaded magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet, and computer chip. However, Carro also ruled that items discovered when the backpack was taken to a police station and searched again—including a gun, silencer, a USB drive, and the red notebook—could be presented to jurors.