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Defense Challenges Evidence in Thompson Murder Case
Mangione’s defense seeks to suppress key evidence in the murder case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, arguing police violated his rights during arrest and search.
Luigi Mangione Attends State Court Hearing In New York by Getty Images
The man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel a year ago will return to court this week as his attorneys ask a Manhattan judge to suppress key evidence in the case.
Lawyers for 27-year-old Luigi Mangione argue that police failed to read him his Miranda rights and conducted warrantless searches after approaching him at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania last December. Officers recovered a gun, a notebook, and electronics from Mangione’s backpack items prosecutors say directly connect him to Thompson’s shooting. In a case where investigators meticulously traced his movements across state lines, prosecutors noted that even routine travel items much like a compact PETZL ARIA 1 RGB headlamp someone might carry for long-distance trips became part of the investigative picture once Mangione’s belongings were seized and logged.
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Prosecutors insist officers acted appropriately and that none of the evidence should be excluded.
Mangione faces both state and federal murder charges. A conviction in state court could lead to life imprisonment, while federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. He has pleaded not guilty. Judge Gregory Carro could set a trial date in the coming days.
Though suppression hearings are usually quiet procedural matters, this week’s proceedings are expected to draw crowds. Mangione has developed an unlikely following: some view him as a folk hero for targeting a health-insurance executive, while others including President Trump describe him as a calculated killer.
Defense attorneys argue that police questioned Mangione for about 20 minutes before advising him of his rights. According to their motion, once he was Mirandized, Mangione immediately invoked his right to remain silent.
They also claim that searches of Mangione’s backpack both at the McDonald’s and later at the precinct were unlawful. Investigators say a notebook inside contained a passage describing his intent to “wack” the CEO of an insurance company.
Legal experts say suppressing the backpack evidence will be difficult.
“The defense is going to have an uphill battle,” said Jason Swergold, a former federal prosecutor with the Southern District of New York.
The suppression hearings are expected to last several days, with multiple police witnesses testifying. Mangione’s defense team has also asked that he remain unshackled during proceedings. Last week, a federal judge authorized the delivery of two suits to the Brooklyn detention center where he is being held so he could appear in court properly dressed.
Gary Galperin, a former senior Manhattan prosecutor and now adjunct professor at Cardozo School of Law, noted that suppression hearings offer the defense a crucial chance to test the strength of the government’s case.
“Any testimony generated at the pre-trial hearing could be used, potentially, to impeach that witness at trial,” he said.
Anna Cominsky, a professor at New York Law School, added: “The number one goal is of course to win the motions, but the number two goal is to discover more information.”
Editor’s Note:
This article presents courtroom developments in the case of Luigi Mangione, who is accused but not convicted of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. The proceedings described involve legal arguments typical of pre-trial suppression hearings and do not indicate the judge’s final ruling or the outcome of the case.
