LUIGI MANGIONE appears in court as attorneys seek to exclude key evidence in state murder case

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 -Brian Thompson — the 50-year-old former CEO of UnitedHealthcare — was fatally shot on December 4, 2024 in Manhattan. Suspected killer Luigi Mangione was arrested days later at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania after a multi-state manhunt.

During his arrest, law enforcement recovered from his backpack a handgun, a loaded magazine, and a notebook with handwritten entries. Prosecutors say this evidence links Mangione to the killing.

But at a pre-trial hearing starting December 1, 2025 in Manhattan, Mangione’s defense team argued that the search that uncovered these items — as well as statements he made — were unlawful because police did not have a warrant and failed to issue Miranda warnings in a timely manner. If the judge agrees, key evidence including the firearm and writings could be excluded from the state case.

Because the contested evidence includes what prosecutors consider the murder weapon and a document describing motive, its exclusion would represent a major blow to the prosecution’s case. But prosecutors oppose the motion and seek to prove the search and seizure were justified.

As it stands, Mangione still faces second-degree murder charges under state law, plus multiple weapons and identification-fraud counts. He also faces separate federal charges, including potential death-penalty exposure.