Accused assassin Luigi Mangione arrived at a Manhattan courtroom Monday for a crucial pretrial evidence hearing in his murder case, dressed in a gray suit jacket over a white-and-red checkered shirt.
The 27-year-old Ivy League graduate was escorted through a side door before taking a seat at the defense table to begin what is expected to be a marathon proceeding.
Prosecutors plan to call more than two dozen witnesses connected to Mangione’s arrest last December, when he allegedly shot the head of healthcare giant UnitedHealthCare on a Midtown sidewalk.
The weeklong hearing will examine whether police violated Mangione’s rights by questioning him and searching his backpack before obtaining a warrant. Should Judge Gregory Carro side with the defense, prosecutors could face a major setback: evidence recovered from the backpack—including the murder weapon and a notebook in which Mangione allegedly outlined his motive—might be barred from trial.
Court papers cite diary entries in which Mangione reportedly described plotting to “rebel against the deadly, greed-fueled health insurance cartel” by targeting Thompson, whom he accused of running “a company that literally extracts human life force for money.” Separately, Mangione faces federal charges, where prosecutors have requested the death penalty.
Records show Mangione has been allowed to swap his standard inmate scrubs for his choice of outfit, picking from two suits, three shirts, and three sweaters.
