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a high-level hearing in new york murder case against luigi mangione continues Thursday, a year after prosecutors say he shot up UnitedHealthcare ceo brian thompson,
Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges. Before a trial is scheduled, her lawyers are trying to prevent final jurors from hearing about her alleged statements to law enforcement officers and items allegedly seized from her bag, including a gun and a notebook.
Evidence is important in the prosecution’s case. He has said that the 9mm handgun matched the firearm used in the murder, that writings in the notebook reflected Mangione’s disdain for health insurers and thoughts about the assassination of a CEO at an investor conference, and that he had given pennsylvania Police found the same fake name the alleged gunman had used at a New York hostel a few days before the shooting.
Thompson, 50, was shot in the back on December 4, 2024, while on his way to an investor conference. He became CEO of UnitedHealthcare in 2021 and worked at parent UnitedHealth Group Inc. for 20 years.
The hearing, which began Monday and could extend into next week, applies only to the state’s case. But it is giving the public a broader preview of some testimony, video, 911 audio and other records related to both cases.
It was not immediately clear what witnesses or evidence they were expected to hear Thursday.
Tuesday’s court session showed police body-camera video of officers confronting Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and concluding — to their surprise — that he was the much-publicized suspect in Thompson’s murder five days earlier.
They spoke with Mangione for about 20 minutes and told him he had the right to remain silent. Officers asked his name, whether he had recently been to New York and other questions, including: “Why are you nervous?”
The officers tried to remain cool and save time by saying they were simply responding to a loitering complaint and chatting about his steak sandwich. Nevertheless, he patted Mangione and pushed his bag away from him. In about 15 minutes, they warned him that he was being investigated and that if he repeated what they determined was a fake name, he would be arrested.
When he turned in 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 her bag, a matter that will be further investigated as the hearing progresses.
Mangione’s lawyers argue that his statements should not be allowed as evidence at trial because the officers began interrogating him before he was even read his rights. The defense argues that the backpack item should be excluded because police did not get a warrant before searching his bag.
Manhattan prosecutors have not yet detailed their arguments for allowing the disputed evidence. Federal prosecutors have said that police were justified in searching the backpack to ensure there was nothing dangerous inside and that Mangione’s statements to authorities were voluntary and given before his arrest.
Many criminal cases see disputes over evidence and the complex legal standards governing police searches and interactions with potential suspects.