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Defense seeks to exclude key evidence in United Healthcare CEO murder case
Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused of fatally shooting United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan one year ago this week, appeared in court Monday as his legal team challenges the admissibility of critical evidence in his upcoming trials.
Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal murder charges-potentially carrying the death penalty-wore a grey suit as he entered the courtroom, where his hand restraints were removed at his attorneys' request. The pre-trial hearing, expected to span several days, will determine whether key evidence-including a 9mm handgun and a notebook allegedly detailing a motive-should be suppressed.
Legal battle over arrest and evidence collection
The defense argues that authorities in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's days after the December 4, 2024, shooting, illegally obtained evidence. His attorneys claim police failed to read Mangione his rights before he allegedly provided a false name, and that his backpack-containing the notebook and firearm-was searched without a warrant.
Prosecutors counter that exceptions to warrant requirements apply in this case, particularly given the urgency of a manhunt for a suspect accused of a high-profile killing. Dmitriy Shakhnevich, a New York criminal defense attorney, told The Meta Times the odds of excluding such evidence are "virtually non-existent," noting law enforcement's broad latitude in searches during active investigations.
"In a case like this where there's a manhunt for a violent suspect who committed this alleged crime in plain view in New York City, nobody's getting a warrant. When they get him, they're going to search him."
Dmitriy Shakhnevich, criminal defense attorney
Notebook and firearm central to prosecution's case
Prosecutors allege Mangione's notebook contained writings about "the deadly, greed-fueled health insurance cartel," which they argue establishes a motive for targeting Thompson, a father of two, outside an investors' conference. The defense maintains the backpack search violated constitutional protections.
Beyond the notebook and firearm, prosecutors claim to possess additional evidence, including DNA and fingerprints from items discarded near the crime scene. The defense's challenge, while unlikely to succeed in excluding the evidence entirely, serves a strategic purpose: previewing trial testimony and locking in law enforcement statements for future scrutiny.
Witness testimonies reveal new details
Court proceedings this week have included testimony from multiple witnesses. A New York Police Department deputy commissioner reviewed surveillance footage from the shooting, while a McDonald's employee described how customers alerted her to Mangione's resemblance to the suspect. She testified that she could only identify his eyebrows due to his hat and face mask.
A correctional officer from the jail where Mangione was held described him as "unbothered and logical" during conversations about literature and healthcare-though Mangione avoided discussing the latter. The officer also noted Mangione was placed under heightened security to prevent an "Epstein-style situation," referencing Jeffrey Epstein's suicide in federal custody.
Death penalty opposition and political bias claims
Mangione's legal team continues to push for blocking the federal government's pursuit of the death penalty, arguing that public comments from officials-including Attorney General Pam Bondi-have politicized the case and prejudiced their client. The defense claims the prosecution is motivated by political pressure rather than legal merit.
No trial dates have been set for either the state or federal cases. The current hearing, focused on evidentiary challenges, follows a September ruling that dismissed state terrorism-related murder charges against Mangione, citing insufficient evidence.
Background: A high-profile killing
Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare, was shot and killed on December 4, 2024, while entering an investors' conference on a busy Manhattan street. Mangione, a graduate of an Ivy League university and scion of a prominent Maryland family, was arrested days later in Pennsylvania after a tip from McDonald's employees who recognized him from media reports.
