The pretrial hearing for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has concluded after nine days of testimony spread over three weeks.
The defense argued that evidence found in Mangione’s backpack on the day of his arrest should be dismissed on constitutional grounds. They cited improper search and seizure as the basis for their argument. Inside the backpack were the weapon allegedly used to kill Thompson, cash, directions and a red notebook detailing Mangione’s intent to kill the UnitedHealthcare CEO.
Prosecutors maintained that the search was legal, claiming it was conducted in conjunction with an arrest.
The judge announced that a decision on the admissibility of the evidence will be made in May. Mangione is scheduled to return to court in January for a hearing on his four federal charges.
