A judge ruled on Monday that federal prosecutors may use a 3D printed pistol and notebook as evidence in the trial of 2020 Engineering graduate Luigi Mangione.
The May 18 ruling, delivered by New York Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro, rejected an argument by the defense that they were seized illegally. Carro wrote, however, that some of the other evidence recovered when Mangione was arrested must be suppressed.
Mangione is accused of murdering former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. Earlier this year, a district judge dismissed the two most serious charges — one of which carried a potential death penalty.
The case will proceed to trial — scheduled for October 2026 — to decide the remaining two counts of stalking. If convicted, Mangione could face life without parole. He is additionally scheduled to go on trial for nine state felony charges in September 2026.
Carro suppressed items including a loaded gun magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet, and computer chip. In court, Carro said that the evidence had come from an “improper warrantless search” when Mangione was arrested in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa.
As a Penn student, Mangione studied at the School of Engineering and Applied Science and founded UPGRADE, the University’s first game development club. He graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer and information science.
On Jan. 9, Mangione faced a pretrial conference in federal court — his first appearance in federal court since his April 2025 arraignment.
In December 2025, Mangione’s lawyers accused authorities of publicly vowing to seek the death penalty before his indictment and turning his arrest into a “Marvel movie” spectacle. The prosecution contested these claims, arguing that “pretrial publicity, even when intense, is not itself a constitutional defect.”
RELATED:
Judge bars prosecutors from seeking death penalty against Penn graduate Luigi Mangione
Judge addresses death penalty charge in Penn graduate Luigi Mangione’s federal court case
The defense additionally argued that two of the charges against him — including murder by firearm — are legally flawed.
On campus, Mangione was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. In a previous social media post, he claimed that his mental and physical issues were exacerbated by the fraternity’s “hell week.”
Mangione suffered from back issues and “brain fog,” which he posted about frequently on Reddit. His posts — which detailed the negative impact of the health issues on his overall well-being — also attributed his decline in academic success to worsening health.
RELATED:
Judge bars prosecutors from seeking death penalty against Penn graduate Luigi Mangione
Judge addresses death penalty charge in Penn graduate Luigi Mangione’s federal court case
Senior reporter Arti Jain covers state and local politics and can be reached at jain@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies economics and political science. Follow her on X @arti_jain_.
