Accused killer Luigi Mangione appeared in a New York courtroom Monday as his legal team began a series of suppression hearings that could determine what evidence prosecutors can use at trial in the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
According to Fox News, Mangione, 27, a graduate of an Ivy League university, is charged with stalking Thompson before allegedly shooting him from behind outside a Manhattan hotel.
Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two who lived in Minnesota, had traveled to New York to attend a shareholder conference the same morning he was killed.
Five days after the shooting, police arrested Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. His attorneys now want the court to throw out key evidence collected during that arrest — including items recovered from his backpack, which contained the suspected murder weapon and handwritten journals.
They are also seeking to suppress statements he made to officers before he was read his Miranda rights.
The first witness called on Monday was NYPD Sgt. Chris McLaughlin, who works in the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information’s office, the unit handling communications between police and the media.
Prosecutors questioned him about a series of surveillance images and videos from the days surrounding the shooting. One image — showing an unidentified man smiling at a woman inside a Manhattan hostel — became a critical lead after witnesses later recognized Mangione in Altoona and contacted police.
The second witness, Bernad Pyles of ADI Global Distribution, took the stand to discuss the security system at the Altoona McDonald’s where Mangione was arrested. As Pyles testified, the court viewed newly revealed surveillance footage captured before, during, and after the arrest.
A third witness, Emily States from the Blair County Department of Emergency Services, is also scheduled to testify as the hearings continue.
The proceedings are expected to span several days, with a midweek pause on Wednesday. Two types of suppression hearings are underway: a Mapp hearing, which will decide whether certain physical evidence must be excluded, and a Huntley hearing, which will determine whether Mangione’s statements to police are admissible.
A third type — a Mosley hearing — has not yet been scheduled as the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office continues shaping its trial strategy.
Mangione faces a long list of charges in New York, Pennsylvania, and federal court. While state-level terrorism charges were dismissed earlier in the year, he still faces second-degree murder, seven counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and possession of a forged ID in New York alone. He could receive a life sentence if convicted on the top charges in the state case.
Federal charges carry even higher stakes. If convicted at that level, Mangione could face the death penalty.
