Luigi Mangione returns to court for Day 4 of pretrial evidence hearing

(NEW YORK) – Accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione returns to court Monday for the fourth day of a crucial pretrial hearing as his defense lawyers attempt to exclude from trial critical evidence that they say was illegally seized from his backpack without a warrant. 

One year after Mangione allegedly gunned down United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk, the hearing has put the 27-year-old face-to-face with the police officers who arrested him in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five-day manhunt.

The testimony and evidence have also given the public the clearest picture to date of the case against Mangione that prosecutors plan to bring to a jury — potentially sometime in 2026.

Prosecutors in lower Manhattan plan to call two more police officers on Monday, including the officer who allegedly searched Mangione’s backpack without a warrant by claiming it was an emergency and that she needed to check if there was a “bomb” in the bag.

Defense lawyers have argued her actions violated Mangione’s constitutional rights and should justify excluding any of the evidence found in the bag, including the alleged murder weapon and writings that prosecutors say amount to a confession. 

“[The officer] did not search the bag because she reasonably thought there might be a bomb, but rather this was an excuse designed to cover up an illegal warrantless search of the backpack,” defense attorneys argued in a court filing. “This made-up bomb claim further shows that even she believed at the time that there were constitutional issues with her search, forcing her to attempt to salvage this debacle by making this spurious claim.” 

Prosecutors have so far called six witnesses during the first week of the hearing, including the police officers who first confronted Mangione and the corrections officers who were tasked with constantly monitoring him before his transfer from a cell in Pennsylvania to New York.

What was to have been the hearing’s fourth day on Friday was postponed after the judge said Mangione was ill. No additional information was given.

Last week’s testimony shed new light on the events leading up to and following Mangione’s arrest last December, with the two officers who initially confronted Mangione recounting their experiences for the first time.

“It’s him. I have been seeing all the pictures. He is nervous as hell. I ask him, ‘Have you been in New York,’ he’s all quiet,” Altoona police officer Joseph Detwiler told the courtroom on Tuesday. 

Prosecutors also showed in court never-before-seen security camera footage that captured the chilling moments after Mangione allegedly shot and killed Thompson in the predawn cold of New York City’s early winter. The videos provided the public with a clearer picture of the shooting and emergency response, as well as clues about the case prosecutors have built against the alleged killer.  

At least three people were in the immediate vicinity of the shooting, including a woman just feet away from the suspect. The woman’s identity and whether she has spoken with police are not known. 

The video also shows the suspect — after firing multiple shots — walk toward the victim, glance down at him, cross the street, then run toward a nearby alleyway. A woman holding a cup of coffee outside the famed New York Hilton on Sixth Avenue is seen flinching after hearing the first gunshot, after which she sees Thompson stumble, then appears to look straight at the gunman before running off. 

Seconds later, a man inside the hotel exits, sees Thompson on the ground, then appears to point to a nearby alleyway where the suspect fled. 

Police arrived at the incident three minutes after the shooting. Officers attended to Thompson before an ambulance arrived eight minutes later. 

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