Court filings include body-worn camera stills showing Luigi Mangione during his arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The images depict him seated alone in a corner wearing a medical mask, pulling the mask down to speak with an officer, and ultimately being placed in handcuffs.
Defense motion
Mangione’s attorneys have filed a motion asking a federal judge to suppress evidence collected at the time of the arrest. They contend that officers improperly searched his backpack and questioned him before providing Miranda warnings. The defense argues those actions violated his constitutional rights and seek to exclude both physical evidence and any statements obtained as a result.
Prosecutors’ response
Prosecutors say the search of the backpack was justified by reasonable safety concerns at the scene and that the only pre-Miranda remark they plan to use is an alleged false name Mangione gave when asked — a response they argue did not require a Miranda warning. The U.S. Justice Department maintains the case’s top charges, including possible capital counts, are appropriate based on the alleged facts.
Allegations in the killing
Authorities allege that the victim, identified as a 50-year-old father of two from Minnesota named Thompson, was shot from behind outside a Manhattan hotel while attending an investor conference. Surveillance footage shown by prosecutors reportedly captures a masked assailant approaching and opening fire. Investigators say Mangione fled the scene by bicycle and later took a bus out of town.
Five days after the slaying, customers at the Altoona McDonald’s recognized Mangione from a wanted poster and called police. Officers allege they recovered a 3D-printed “ghost” gun equipped with a suppressor from his bag, along with journals and writings critical of the health-insurance industry. Supporters have sought jury nullification and some portray Mangione as an anti-capitalist critic; his lawyers have rejected calling his writings a "manifesto."
Prosecutors’ motive allegation
The Justice Department alleges Mangione "meticulously" planned the killing to provoke public discussion about the health-care industry. New York prosecutors say he traveled to New York with the intent to locate the conference attendee and kill him, then fled the city.
The case now turns in part on whether evidence and statements gathered at the Altoona arrest will be admissible at trial — a determination the federal judge will make after considering competing legal arguments from both sides.
