The defense for Luigi Mangione alleges NYPD and prosecutors repeated a false quote attributed to his mother — a line the defense says does not appear in any discovery or subpoenaed San Francisco Police records. Attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo says Kathleen Mangione denied making the remark and told investigators she could not see her son posing a risk. The dispute arose as a three-week suppression hearing over a handgun, silencer, magazine and notebook concluded; Judge Gregory Carro expects to rule on May 18. Mangione also faces separate federal charges where prosecutors may seek the death penalty.
Defense Says NYPD, Prosecutors Repeated False Quote From Suspect’s Mother As Judge Weighs Evidence in Mangione Case
Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Supreme Court for a suppression hearing, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.
Defense attorneys for Luigi Mangione say New York police and prosecutors repeated a "false and highly prejudicial" remark they attributed to Mangione’s mother — a statement the defense says does not appear in any discovery or in subpoenaed records from the San Francisco Police Department.
Luigi Mangione attends an evidentiary hearing in the murder case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, at the Manhattan Supreme Court in New York, Dec. 18, 2025.
Attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo told reporters outside Manhattan Supreme Court that investigators publicly quoted Kathleen Mangione as saying she "could see him doing something like this," but the defense has found no record of that remark. Instead, Friedman Agnifilo said, Kathleen Mangione told investigators she could not imagine her son posing a risk to himself or others.
Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Supreme Court for a suppression hearing on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.
"That’s an absolutely false statement. That was never said," Friedman Agnifilo said after a weeks-long suppression hearing concluded.
The dispute centers on comments Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny made at a press conference. Kenny said Kathleen Mangione had reported her son missing to San Francisco police on Nov. 18, 2024, and that the San Francisco detective relayed he was looking for someone who "bears a resemblance" to a man seen checking into a Manhattan hostel before the Dec. 4, 2024, killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Investigators say they contacted Mangione’s mother on Dec. 7, 2024.
Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Supreme Court for an evidence suppression hearing on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.
Kenny told reporters that during that contact Kathleen Mangione "didn't indicate that it was her son in the photograph, but she said it might be something that she could see him doing." Those remarks were widely reported by major outlets and later cited in a book about the case.
Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Supreme Court for a suppression hearing as both sides prepared to wrap up arguments on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.
The defense says it combed through all discovery from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD and subpoenaed San Francisco police records, yet it found no documentation of the allegedly quoted line. Friedman Agnifilo accused investigators and prosecutors of allowing the unverified comment to circulate and shape public perception without correcting the record.
Suppression Hearing and Next Steps
The remarks and the dispute over them surfaced as a three-week suppression hearing concluded to determine whether physical evidence — including a handgun, a silencer, a magazine and a red notebook — should be admitted at Mangione’s upcoming state murder trial. Judge Gregory Carro said he will review written filings and expects to rule on May 18 whether that evidence may be used.
Mangione also faces separate federal charges in the Southern District of New York, where prosecutors have signaled they may seek the death penalty. A federal hearing is scheduled for early January.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the NYPD for comment. Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
