Luigi Mangione argues double jeopardy in bid to drop murder case, suppress evidence
Share this @internewscast.com

The defense team for the man charged with the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson submitted a motion to the New York Supreme Court on Thursday. They seek to suppress evidence in the prosecution’s case and request a complete dismissal of the charges.

Luigi Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Angifilo, stated in the filing that statements Mangione made to the Altoona, Pennsylvania police prior to his December 9 arrest should not be admitted at trial.

She argues that two police officers, who found the suspect inside a McDonald’s, “effectively had Mr. Mangione in custody” by blocking the restaurant’s exit during interrogation, without arresting him and informing him of his Miranda rights beforehand.

Friedman Angifilo argues that such questioning violated her client’s Fifth Amendment rights, and thus, his statements made to those officers should be excluded from the trial. 

Luigi Mangione is escorted by NYPD into a van after being extradited from Pennsylvania for the murder of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson.

Luigi Mangione is escorted from an NYPD helicopter in New York City on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. Mangione is accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

Police also found a small item “enclosed in cardboard and wrapped in tape.” Inside was a computer chip which was also taken as evidence.

Further, the motion seeks to ban the state “from eliciting lay non-eyewitness identification testimony at trial.” The state seeks plans to call NYPD Detective Oscar Diaz and Altoona police officers Joseph Detwiler and Tyler Frye to identify Mangione through surveillance footage based on their “familiarity with the defendant.”

“Here, the proposed witnesses are not eyewitnesses to the crime,” according to the motion. “Moreover, the witnesses had no interactions with Mr. Mangione prior to the video surveillance to make them ‘sufficiently familiar’ with Mr. Mangione.”

The defense also asked the court to dismiss the terrorism charges against Mangione, alleging that the grand jury that indicted him “failed to establish the required element that Mr. Mangione intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policies of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion or affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping.”

Luigi Mangione appears in court

Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court for a status hearing in New York City on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of a Manhattan hotel last year. (Curtis Means/Pool)

Finally, Friedman Angifilo asked the state of New York to drop the entire case against her client, claiming that trying him at the state and federal levels concurrently constitutes double jeopardy and thus a violation of Mangione’s Fifth Amendment rights. 

“This Court is all that stands between justice and Mr. Mangione being forced to stand trial against illegally obtained evidence, terrorism-related charges that have no application to the alleged shooting of one man and concurrent prosecutions that violate the Double Jeopardy Clause and his constitutional rights,” the motion concludes. 

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said they will respond in court filings of their own.

Mangione, 26, was also indicted in the Southern District of New York on federal charges of stalking and murdering Thompson, as well as using electronic communications, interstate travel and a firearm when he allegedly killed the healthcare insurance CEO.

Luigi Mangione departs the courtroom following his arraignment

Luigi Mangione departs the courtroom following his arraignment in New York City Criminal Court on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

He was also charged federally with one count of using a firearm to commit murder, one count of interstate stalking resulting in death, one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death and one count of discharging a firearm that was equipped with a silencer in furtherance of a crime of violence. 

Mangione is accused of ambushing Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealthcare’s annual shareholder conference was being held on Dec. 4, 2024. Prosecutors believe the fatal shooting was meant to send a message to the healthcare insurance industry based on a manifesto found on the suspect when he was arrested days after Thompson’s murder.

He would face the death penalty if convicted. 

Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report. 

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Florida woman charged after allegedly attacking 72-year-old Trump supporter wearing MAGA hat

Florida Woman Accused of Attacking 72-Year-Old Trump Supporter in MAGA Hat

Authorities in Florida have charged a woman with several offenses after she…
China criticizes US ban on Harvard's international students

China Condemns US Decision to Bar International Students from Harvard

BANGKOK (AP) — On Friday, China’s government criticized the Trump administration’s decision…
Lights out at airport where doomed jet was supposed to land before crash that killed Devil Wears Prada drummer Daniel Williams, Dave Shapiro

Airport Lights Fail as Jet Scheduled to Land Crashes, Tragically Killing Devil Wears Prada Drummer Daniel Williams and Dave Shapiro

The runway lights were off, a malfunctioning weather alert system was in…
Inmate arrested in connection with Orleans Justice Center escape

Prisoner Caught Linked to Escape from Orleans Justice Center

An inmate has been taken into custody as part of the ongoing…
Woman riding motorcycle with dog.

Biker Woman With Dog on Her Back Stopped by Surprised Police Officer – Offers Unusual ‘Temu’ Explanation

THIS is the barking mad moment a motorbiker is caught riding with…
Suspect charged with murdering Israeli Embassy staff could face death penalty

Individual Accused of Killing Israeli Embassy Employees May Be Sentenced to Death

Elias Rodriguez, the individual charged with the deadly shooting of two Israeli…
Portrait of Candace Carteen.

HOA Demands $21.5k and Tree Removal After 17 Years for Rule Violation

A homeowner faced a substantial legal expense after her Homeowners Association (HOA)…
Dolly Parton shares plans for '9 to 5' remake involvement

Dolly Parton Reveals Her Role in Upcoming ‘9 to 5’ Remake

The country music icon shared how she plans to lend her talents…
New Jersey college students discover why bone fragments keep washing up on local beaches

Students in New Jersey Uncover Reasons Behind Bone Fragments Appearing on Local Beaches

Bones that began appearing on New Jersey’s beaches about 30 years ago…
Baby-faced anti-Israel teen urges his 1M followers to support suspected DC terrorist in rant so vile TikTok pulled it —then doubles down on hate

Young anti-Israel influencer with 1M followers promotes suspected DC terrorist, prompting TikTok to remove his offensive post, but he intensifies his rhetoric

A teenager known for anti-Israel sentiments and boasting nearly a million followers…
Knicks need to face their dark reality, make something happen

The Knicks Must Confront Their Challenges and Take Action

This time, there was no letdown, just revulsion. This time, the Knicks…
Memorial Day weekend: Travelers pack Chicago roads, expressways, O'Hare and Midway airports; festivals, beaches open

Memorial Day Weekend: Chicago Braces for Heavy Traffic as Roads, Airports, and Attractions Bustle

CHICAGO (WLS) — The tarmac at O’Hare Airport was a busy place…