Luigi Mangione, accused in the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has been the subject of a pre-trial hearing this week. The hearing has presented new testimony and previously unreleased footage from the day of his arrest. Mr. Mangione has entered a plea of not guilty to state charges related to the 2024 incident and faces federal charges that include the possibility of the death penalty.
The current pre-trial proceedings focus on the defense's efforts to exclude certain evidence from the upcoming trial, which has not yet been scheduled. This evidence includes items recovered from Mr. Mangione's backpack during his arrest and statements he made to law enforcement officers.
Arrest Details Emerge
Testimony during the hearing centered on the McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Mangione was apprehended days after the shooting in Midtown Manhattan. Witnesses testified that a customer tip regarding Mr. Mangione's appearance initiated the arrest.
- A McDonald's employee reported a customer's observation that a patron resembled the suspect in the United Healthcare CEO shooting.
- The patron was described as wearing a black hoodie, a medical mask, and a tan beanie.
- The employee noted that the patron's eyebrows were a visible and distinguishing feature.
Prosecutors also presented notecards, attributed to Mr. Mangione, which appeared to list post-shooting tasks. One card reportedly included the instruction: "Change hat, shoes, pluck eyebrows."
Altoona Lieutenant William Hanelly testified that an officer initially responded to the tip with sarcasm, considering it improbable that the suspect from New York City would be in Altoona, Pennsylvania. However, officers at the scene noted a resemblance to images circulated by the New York Police Department. An officer was reportedly heard stating in a phone call, "It's him. I'm not kidding. He's real nervous. It's him."
Body camera footage played in court depicted Mr. Mangione consuming a meal at McDonald's while officers maintained positions around him awaiting additional personnel. Mr. Mangione observed the videos from the defense table, accompanied by his legal team.
Identification and Arrest
Police body camera videos documented Mr. Mangione's interactions with officers on December 9, amidst background Christmas music.
- When officers first approached Mr. Mangione, they requested he lower his mask.
- He complied, providing the name "Mark Rosario" and presenting a New Jersey identification card that police later determined to be false.
- Lieutenant Hanelly stated that the false identification provided probable cause for Mr. Mangione's arrest.
- In the footage, Mr. Mangione is heard disclosing his real first name, Luigi.
- Another body camera video shows an officer informing Mr. Mangione that he was under investigation for providing false identification, after which Mr. Mangione was seen placing his hands on a wall as officers placed him under arrest.
- A photograph of Mr. Mangione with his hands behind his back was taken after the arrest.
Evidence from Backpack
The pre-trial hearing also addressed items found in Mr. Mangione's backpack at the time of his arrest.
- Mr. Mangione's defense lawyers have argued for the exclusion of a 9mm handgun and a notebook from the trial, asserting that officers lacked a warrant to search the backpack.
- Prosecutors allege that the notebook contained writings by Mr. Mangione regarding "the deadly, greed-fuelled health insurance cartel."
- Lieutenant Hanelly testified that exceptions for warrants exist.
- Officer Christy Wasser, who searched the backpack, was questioned by Ms. Friedman Agnifilo regarding the basis for the search. Officer Wasser responded, "No, we search everyone," when asked if the search was conducted because she believed he was the New York City shooter.