A pretrial hearing concerning Luigi Mangione's attempt to exclude specific evidence from his state murder case was postponed due to the defendant's illness. The hearing, initially set to resume on Friday, will now continue on Monday, as confirmed by both Mangione’s lawyers and the presiding Judge Gregory Carro.
Luigi Mangione is seeking to exclude a 9 mm handgun, a notebook, and other items that police claim were found in his backpack following his arrest on December 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. This arrest occurred just five days after the murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, who was shot in Manhattan. Additionally, Mangione and his legal team are working to suppress some statements he reportedly made to police during custody.
Mangione has entered a plea of not guilty to both state and federal murder charges. The ongoing hearing, which commenced on Monday and is expected to extend through the following week, pertains exclusively to the state case. Judge Carro indicated the postponement of the hearing earlier in the day, citing the defendant's health issues. Lawyer Marc Agnifilo confirmed Mangione's illness to the court.
The evidence in question plays a critical role in the prosecutors’ case against Mangione. They assert that the handgun discovered in his backpack is the same firearm used in Thompson’s murder. Furthermore, they claim that writings found in the notebook indicate Mangione's disdain for health insurers and contain ideas about targeting a CEO at an investor conference. Intriguingly, Mangione allegedly used the same alias that the suspected gunman had adopted at a New York hostel just days prior to the shooting.
Brian Thompson, 50 years old at the time of his death, was shot in the back as he was en route to an investor conference. Thompson, who had been the CEO of UnitedHealthcare since 2021, had served within the parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., for two decades prior to his tragic murder.
As of now, Manhattan prosecutors have not publicly disclosed their arguments in favor of admitting the contested evidence into the trial. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors have maintained that the search of Mangione's backpack was justified under the pretext of ensuring there were no hazardous materials inside. They assert that Mangione's statements to law enforcement officers were voluntarily made, occurring before he was placed under arrest.
