Luigi Mangione in court as lawyers seek to rule out notebook, gun and other key evidence

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan a year ago, appeared in court Monday as his lawyers challenge the admissibility of key evidence in his case.

Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges, which carry the possibility of the death penalty.

The pretrial hearing could last several days, with defense attorneys expected to call a host of witnesses, including from Pennsylvania, where he was arrested at a McDonald’s restaurant.

In September, a judge dismissed state terrorism-related murder charges against Mangione, arguing that prosecutors failed to present evidence to justify the charges.

Mr. Mangione’s legal team is now hoping to convince the judge to exclude evidence, including a gun and a notebook in which prosecutors say he identified a motive.

The defendant was arrested days after Mr. Thompson, a father of two, was shot as he walked into an investor conference on a busy Manhattan street on December 4, 2024.

No date has yet been set for any of his trials.

As he entered court Monday, Mangione wore a gray suit and shirt, and court staff removed his handcuffs before he sat down, at the request of his attorney.

This week’s hearing focuses on whether prosecutors illegally obtained evidence from Mr. Hans Mangione when they arrested him in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and whether it should be disqualified as a result.

Defense lawyers are seeking to suppress some of the statements Mr. Mangione made to police after his arrest — including an allegation that he gave them a false name.

They say he did so before police read him his rights, including the right to remain silent.

His lawyers also hope to exclude from the trial a 9mm handgun, which prosecutors say matches the gun used in the killing, as well as graffiti found in Mr. Mangione’s backpack.

Prosecutors alleged that Mangione, the scion of a prominent Maryland family and a graduate of an Ivy League university, wrote in his notebook about the “murderous health insurance cartel and the greed that fuels it.”

But defense attorneys say his bag was searched without a warrant, and the items in it should be excluded for that reason.

Removing these two crucial pieces of evidence — which point to the murder weapon and motive — would be a major win for Mr. Mangione’s legal team.

But Dmitry Shakhnevich, a New York criminal defense attorney, said the chances of that happening are “almost non-existent.”

That’s because there are a number of exceptions to the constitutional rules that law enforcement must obtain a personal search warrant, including some that might cover this case, he said.

“In a case like this, where there is a manhunt for a violent suspect who committed this alleged crime in plain sight in New York City, no one gets an arrest warrant,” Shakhnevich said.

“When they catch him, they will search him.”

Prosecutors say they have other key evidence against the accused, including… DNA or fingerprints On items disposed of near the crime scene.

Mangione’s lawyers may be aware of the long odds of excluding evidence, Shakhnevich said.

He added that the main reason a defense attorney conducts this type of procedure is to review trial testimony from law enforcement.

So far, the court has heard from the New York Police Department’s Deputy Public Information Commissioner, Sergeant Chris McLaughlin, who was asked to review surveillance images after the shooting.

Prosecutors in court also played surveillance cameras showing the murder. The worker who handled the security cameras at the McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona also testified.

Prosecutors played a 911 call to the court from a fast-food restaurant manager who said customers told her that a customer looked like the suspect in Mr. Thompson’s murder. The manager said she searched online for photos of him, but could only see Mr. Mangione’s eyebrows while he was eating in the restaurant, because he was wearing a hat and face mask.

The court also heard from a correctional officer at the prison where Mr Mangione was being held, who said he seemed “unfazed and reasonable” when they discussed politeness and healthcare, although Mr Mangione did not give his opinion on the latter topic.

The officer said Mangione was placed under high security because they wanted to avoid an “Epstein-style situation,” referring to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while in federal custody.

Mr. Shakhnevich said the legal team wants to get this kind of information from witnesses so that they are aware of what people might say at trial, and are on the lookout for any inconsistencies in their statements.

“The benefit of a hearing is that you can have law enforcement officials testify, and you can compel them to testify for trial at a later date,” he said.

Mr. Mangione’s legal team is also pushing to block the federal government She seeks the death penalty.

They said comments from high-ranking officials, including District Attorney Pam Bondi, who charged Mr. Mangione with the murder, have damaged his case, which they claim is politically motivated.