An Altoona, Pennsylvania police officer is set to appear in court today to discuss the department’s procedures for handling an arrested individual’s personal property. This testimony is crucial for Luigi Mangione, who stands accused of assassination, as he seeks to have evidence dismissed in the federal case against him.
Authorities apprehended Mangione five days after the ambush killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Prosecutors claim that during the arrest, they discovered writings critical of the insurance industry in his backpack, alongside the alleged murder weapon and additional incriminating evidence.
The murder, which took place in New York City, was captured by a surveillance camera. Subsequently, police disseminated other surveillance images via a wanted poster, triggering a nationwide search.
Luigi Mangione is currently appearing in Manhattan Supreme Court for a suppression hearing, where both the defense and prosecution are preparing to conclude their arguments on Thursday, December 18, 2025. (Curtis Means for Daily Mail via Pool)
In the days following the incident, Mangione was recognized by customers and staff at a McDonald’s in Altoona while having breakfast. Their alertness led to his arrest.
The defense team for Mangione has raised concerns about the search of his possessions, arguing that it was conducted without a proper warrant.
They raised similar concerns in a New York state court, leading to testimony from a number of Altoona officers, the McDonald’s manager and additional witnesses.
The state judge has not yet issued a ruling.
A member of the NYPD Crime Scene Unit takes a picture of a shell casing found at the scene where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in Midtown Manhattan, in New York City, Dec. 4, 2024. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)
Prosecutors say police did nothing wrong and maintain that the evidence would have been found inevitably since the bag was with Mangione when he was arrested.
Judge Margaret M. Garnett ordered the officer’s presence after oral arguments on the defense motion to suppress evidence from Mangione’s backpack. She said it does not have to be an officer involved in the arrest.
The government was also ordered to provide her with a copy of the affidavit in support of the federal search warrant.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed on Dec. 4, 2024. (Businesswire)
In a separate effort, the defense is vying to have the top federal charges against Mangione thrown out — which would spare him from facing the death penalty if convicted of the remaining charges.
In order for the murder charge to fall under federal jurisdiction, prosecutors need to show an underlying “crime of violence” was committed. They are alleging that was the stalking of Thompson across state lines before his murder.
The father of two lived and worked in Minnesota and traveled to New York for a business conference. He was shot outside the hotel where it was supposed to be held.
A surveillance image released by the NYPD shows the suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (NYPD Crimestoppers)
Following oral arguments on the issue, Mangione’s lawyers sent the judge a letter citing a Ninth Circuit decision that happened days later in United States v. Gomez. The appellate court found that a California law on assault with a deadly weapon does not meet the “crime of violence” threshold due to legal technicalities.
“It’s like a series of dominos — the only way that the federal government can get to a death penalty charge in their case is if the murder was committed during the course of a violent felony,” said Joshua Ritter, a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor. “And the reason that they need that is because they need what’s called a federal hook to get them federal jurisdiction. So the way that they get that hook is through the stalking.”
