Overview
- U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett took testimony from Altoona Deputy Chief Nathan Snyder on police procedures for securing and inventorying arrestees’ property during the December 2024 arrest.
- Garnett ordered prosecutors to provide the affidavit used to obtain a federal search warrant as she reviews the defense bid to suppress backpack evidence.
- Defense lawyers argue officers searched the backpack without a warrant and seek to exclude a gun, silencer, loaded magazine and a notebook, while prosecutors point to Altoona protocols and a later warrant and inventory search.
- The court set contingency dates for openings: Oct. 13 if the case is non‑capital, or Jan. 11, 2027 if the death penalty remains available, with a status conference scheduled for Jan. 30.
- A parallel New York state case continues, with Judge Gregory Carro expecting to rule on evidence by May, as federal prosecutors also press a jurisdiction theory based on alleged interstate stalking as the crime‑of‑violence predicate.