A quiet December afternoon at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s erupted into a legal saga now unfolding in a Manhattan courtroom, as attorneys for 27-year-old Luigi Mangione push to block a slate of evidence that prosecutors say ties him directly to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The questioning resumed Monday with new bodycam footage and police testimony offering a detailed — and sometimes unusual — look at the moments after Mangione was handcuffed inside the Altoona fast-food restaurant, according to The Associated Press.
Officers initially confronted Mangione on forgery and false identification charges. According to police, he had provided a fake driver’s license that matched the alias used by the suspected gunman days earlier at a Manhattan hostel.
Once he was detained, Altoona officer Christy Wasser began checking a backpack beside him — a step she said department protocol requires for safety.
Inside, the first items she pulled out were ordinary: food, a passport, and electronics. Then, wrapped inside a pair of gray underwear, Wasser found a loaded gun magazine.
On the newly aired bodycam video, another officer can be heard reacting instantly: “It’s him, dude. It’s him, 100%.” The outburst set the tone for the hours of testimony that followed, as prosecutors argue the search was lawful and defense lawyers insist it was not.
Wasser, a 19-year veteran, told the court she checked the bag partly out of concern there might be a bomb, citing a past incident in which an officer unknowingly transported an explosive to the station.
Asked by defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo whether she called the bomb squad, Wasser replied, “No. I didn’t find a bomb yet.”
After finding no immediate threat, Wasser paused her search. Some items, including a laptop, were transported to the station in a McDonald’s takeout bag, as shown on the footage.
Once back at the station, Wasser resumed looking through the backpack.
Within moments, she discovered a handgun and a silencer in a side pocket she had not checked earlier. Her reaction — a surprised laugh punctuated with “nice” — was played in court, drawing scrutiny from Mangione’s attorneys.
During an inventory of the bag’s contents, Wasser later uncovered a notebook along with what appeared to be to-do lists and escape plans. She was also heard saying, “Isn’t it awesome?” — a remark she defended on the stand by saying she was proud her department helped apprehend a suspect in a high-profile killing.
Prosecutors have maintained that the gun found in the bag matches the weapon used to shoot Thompson on a Manhattan street as he walked to an investor conference on Dec. 4, 2024. Thompson, 50, was gunned down from behind by a masked attacker, according to surveillance video.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges. Monday’s hearing focused solely on the state case, though his attorneys are seeking to block the same evidence at the federal level, where prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty.
A Blair County prosecutor testified that a judge later approved a warrant for the bag, allowing Altoona police to formally transfer the evidence to New York investigators.
Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann again referred to the killing as an “execution” and described the notebook as a “manifesto.”
Mangione’s defense objected, calling the language inflammatory. Judge Gregory Carro dismissed concerns for the hearing but warned Seidemann that such phrasing would not be tolerated at trial.
Mangione, appearing energetic after a brief illness that delayed Friday’s hearing, pumped his fist toward photographers before proceedings continued.
The court is expected to rule on the evidence issue before the case moves closer to trial.
