Mangione’s lawyers aim to keep items police found during arrest from being used at trial

Legal expert says that if New York City judge decides against admitting these items, it could all but gut state case

As Luigi Mangione’s highly anticipated federal trial could start by year’s end, his defense team is working hard to prevent jurors from seeing some of the most incriminating evidence against him, including an alleged murder weapon.

Mangione is charged with the murder of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson. Thompson’s 2024 killing on a midtown Manhattan street spurred an expansive manhunt for the assailant, but also fanned the flames of public outcry over the US health insurance industry’s profit-driven practices.

Mangione’s lawyers might have a viable legal avenue to prevent items discovered during a search from being introduced at both his state and federal trials, several experts told the Guardian.

One legal expert even said that if the New York City judge decided against admitting these items, it could all but gut the state case.