In a three‑week Manhattan hearing described by the defense as a “mini‑trial,” judges and lawyers debated what state‑court evidence would be allowed if Luigi Mangione is tried in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Prosecutors played body‑cam footage and 911 calls from the Dec. 9, 2024 arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, while defense attorneys sought to exclude items taken from Mangione’s backpack and argued Miranda warnings were required earlier. The dispute focused on a loaded handgun, a red notebook labeled by police as a “manifesto,” a to‑do list, and whether the search was lawful. Judge Gregory Carro asked for written summations and is expected to rule on admissibility on May 18.
What Happened in Luigi Mangione’s Three-Week ‘Mini‑Trial’: Key Evidence Battles and What Comes Next
Luigi Mangione at a suppression of evidence hearing in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan criminal court in New York City on Thursday. (Pool / Getty Images)
Over three weeks in a Manhattan courtroom, judges and lawyers staged a concentrated, trial‑like hearing to decide which pieces of state‑court evidence jurors would see if Luigi Mangione is tried for the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The proceeding, described by defense lawyers as a “mini‑trial,” featured body‑worn camera video, 911 calls, nearly 20 witnesses and sustained disputes over Miranda warnings and the legality of a backpack search.
What Was At Issue
The hearing centered on admissibility: whether items seized from Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9, 2024 — five days after the Manhattan shooting — may be used at trial and whether police should have read Miranda warnings earlier. Prosecutors argued the search was lawful as a search incident to arrest and noted a formal warrant was later obtained. Defense attorneys countered that officers had effectively placed Mangione in custody before reading Miranda rights and that items taken from his bag should be excluded because there was no immediate warrant.
Arrest Scenes and Recordings
Prosecutors played body‑worn camera footage and recordings of 911 calls that reconstruct the moments at the Altoona McDonald’s. In one recorded call, an unnamed manager told dispatchers that Mangione “looks like the CEO shooter from New York,” describing his clothing. Officer Joseph Detwiler, the first officer on scene, testified that he tried to “keep things normal and calm” and was captured on bodycam whistling the holiday tune “Jingle Bell Rock” while Mangione sat and ate hash browns.
Identification, Money And Miranda
Testimony said Mangione initially presented a fake New Jersey ID reading “Mark Rosario” and told officers he had only $100, though police say they later counted at least $7,750 on him. Bodycam audio captures an officer reading Miranda warnings and asking if Mangione understood; he replies yes. The defense argues, however, that officers had already formed a so‑called “human wall” around him — a circumstance that, they say, rendered him in custody and required Miranda warnings earlier.
Items Seized From The Backpack
Authorities testified they recovered from Mangione’s backpack a loaded handgun, a silencer, a magazine with bullets wrapped in underwear, a cellphone, a passport, a Maryland ID card, various bank cards and a red notebook an officer described in court as a “manifesto.” Investigators also reported finding a handwritten to‑do list with notes such as “buy black sneakers (white stripe too distinctive),” “change hat, shoes, and pluck eyebrows,” “keep momentum, FBI slower,” and “check reports for current situation.”
SCI Huntingdon in Huntingdon, Pa., on Dec. 10, 2024. (Matthew Hatcher / Reuters file)
Defense counsel Karen Agnifilo objected repeatedly to what she called inflammatory language — pressing judges to prevent prosecutors from repeatedly referring to the red notebook as a “manifesto” and objecting to uses of terms like “execution” and “assassination.”
Testimony About Mangione’s Demeanor And Background
Tomas Rivers, a corrections officer at SCI Huntingdon in Pennsylvania, recounted broad conversations with Mangione while the defendant was detained. Rivers said Mangione spoke about recent travel in Southeast Asia, a reported violent encounter abroad, and readings that included George Orwell, Henry David Thoreau and Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception. Rivers described Mangione’s jail cell demeanor as “precise, logical and coherent,” and said Mangione disputed media comparisons to Ted Kaczynski.
The Manhunt And How Investigators Linked Mangione
New York Police Lt. David Leonardi described a frantic five‑day manhunt after Thompson was shot near the New York Hilton Midtown. Investigators displayed video showing the suspected shooter near the scene and said they traced Mangione back to a Manhattan hostel in part through a photo taken inside a taxicab near 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
What Happens Next
The hearing concluded with Judge Gregory Carro asking both sides to submit written summations. He is expected to rule on the scope of admissible evidence on May 18. The judge’s decisions on Miranda timing and the admissibility of items seized from the backpack could significantly shape the evidence jurors will ultimately consider if a state trial proceeds.
Originally published on NBCNews.com. This account summarizes court testimony and arguments in a pretrial evidentiary hearing; Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state charges and faces separate federal indictments. All allegations are subject to legal process.
