Luigi Mangione, 27, appeared in a Manhattan courtroom Monday as his attorneys asked a judge to bar evidence recovered when he was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, last December. The multi-day pretrial hearing centers on whether items seized from Mangione’s backpack and statements he made before extradition are admissible in the New York state murder case.
Key dispute: search and statements
Defense lawyers contend that officers did not provide Miranda warnings and conducted a warrantless search of the backpack while Mangione was already restrained. Among the items recovered were a 3D-printed handgun, what investigators described as a silencer, and a notebook containing handwritten passages prosecutors have called a "manifesto." Defense attorneys argue the search was unlawful because Mangione was handcuffed and separated from the bag by armed officers, and that no immediate threat justified bypassing a warrant.
Prosecution witnesses and evidence
Prosecutors called multiple witnesses on the first day, including an NYPD official who distributed the suspect’s images after the killing and a vendor who supplied the surveillance system that recorded Mangione’s arrest at the Altoona McDonald’s. The prosecution also played 911 audio from the restaurant, in which a manager described a masked man who a customer believed she recognized.
Corrections officers who monitored Mangione in a Pennsylvania jail testified as well. One officer said jail staff were mindful of avoiding an "Epstein-style situation" while guarding a high-profile inmate. Another corrections officer testified that Mangione admitted he carried a 3D-printed firearm and foreign currency at the time of his arrest; the defense questioned whether that admission was documented by jail staff.
Charges and potential penalties
Mangione faces both federal and state charges related to the Dec. 4, 2024, shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a midtown Manhattan hotel. Federal counts include murder through the use of a firearm, two counts of interstate stalking resulting in death, and using a firearm equipped with a silencer while committing a crime of violence; federal prosecutors have said those counts carry the possibility of the death penalty.
In state court, some higher counts previously filed were dismissed by the state judge, but remaining New York charges include second-degree murder and multiple weapons offenses that together carry a potential sentence of 25 years to life if Mangione is convicted. He also faces separate state charges in Pennsylvania, including forgery and unlicensed firearm possession.
Context and public reaction
Authorities say surveillance footage shows a hooded figure firing a silenced pistol into Thompson’s back and then firing two additional rounds before fleeing. Investigators also recovered shell casings at the scene marked with the words "deny," "delay" and "depose," which prosecutors said appeared to reference tactics some critics allege insurers use to avoid paying claims.
The killing reignited debate about the U.S. health-care system and prompted a small but vocal group of supporters who have raised funds for Mangione’s legal defense and attended court appearances carrying signs. A group of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse on Monday.
The judge has not yet ruled on the defense motions to suppress the seized items or pre-extradition statements. The hearing is scheduled to resume Tuesday.
