NEW YORK — Crucial hearings in New York murder trial v. Luigi Mangione continues Thursday, a year after prosecutors said he shot and killed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson.
Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges. Before any trials are scheduled, his lawyers are trying to prevent future jurors from hearing about his alleged statements to law enforcement officers and about items, including a gun and a notebook, allegedly taken from his backpack.
Evidence is key in the prosecutor's case. They said that 9mm pistol consistent with the firearm used in the murder, which notes in a notepad posted contempt for health insurers and ideas about killing the CEO at an investor conference and that he gave Pennsylvania police the same fake name the alleged gunman used at a New York City hostel days before the shooting.
ThompsonA 50-year-old man was shot from behind while walking to an investor conference on December 4, 2024. He became CEO of UnitedHealthcare in 2021 and worked for parent company UnitedHealth Group Inc. 20 years old.
Hearing that started on Monday and may be extended until next week, applies to statewide cases only. But it does give the public extensive access to some of the testimony, video, 911 audio and other records related to both cases.
It was unclear what witnesses or evidence were expected Thursday.
At Tuesday's trial, police body camera video was played of officers confronting Mangione at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and concluding – to their amazement – that he was a highly publicized suspect in Thompson's killing five days earlier.
They spoke with Mangione for about 20 minutes before telling him he had the right to remain silent. The officers asked his name, whether he had been to New York recently and other questions, including: “Why are you nervous?”
The officers tried to play it cool and buy time by implying that they were simply responding to a complaint about a loitering man and chatting about his steak sandwich. Still, they patted Mangione and moved his backpack away from him. After about 15 minutes, they warned him that he was under investigation and that he would be arrested if he repeated what they believed was a false name.
After he gave his real ID, he was read his rights, handcuffed, searched again, and ultimately arrested on forgery charges related to his fake ID.
The video also shows officers searching his backpack, an issue likely to be explored further as the hearing progresses.
Mangione's lawyers argue that his statement should not be used as evidence at trial because officers began questioning him before being read his rights. The defense argues that the items from the backpack should be excluded because police did not obtain a warrant to search his bag.
Manhattan prosecutors have not yet detailed their arguments for admitting the disputed evidence. Federal prosecutors argue that police had the right to search the backpack to ensure there was nothing dangerous inside, and that Mangione's statements to officers were voluntary and made before he was arrested.
Many criminal cases involve disputes over evidence and complex legal standards governing police searches and interactions with potential suspects.
