Luigi Mangione back in court today: What to expect

Luigi Mangione back in court on Thursday: What to expect

The court is expected to hear from additional police witnesses as prosecutors continue defending the legality of the search of Mangione’s backpack and the questioning that occurred inside a Pennsylvania McDonald’s. The hearing has moved more slowly than anticipated, with more than a handful of officers and investigators testifying so far. FOX 5 NY's Jessica Formoso has the latest.

NEW YORK - Luigi Mangione is expected to return to a Manhattan courtroom Thursday for day six of a pretrial hearing that will determine whether key evidence and statements can be used at his upcoming murder trial. The hearing resumes at 9:30 a.m., with more witnesses expected to take the stand as the case enters its second week.

Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to nine state charges accusing him of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan last December. His attorneys are seeking to suppress physical evidence seized during his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and to block statements he made to officers before he was advised of his rights.

What's expected today:

The court is expected to hear from additional police witnesses as prosecutors continue defending the legality of the search of Mangione’s backpack and the questioning that occurred inside a Pennsylvania McDonald’s. The hearing has moved more slowly than anticipated, with more than a handful of officers and investigators testifying so far.

Prosecutors argue officers were justified in searching the backpack to ensure there were no weapons or dangerous items inside and say Mangione’s statements were voluntary and made before he was formally under arrest.

Evidence:

Across the past two weeks, prosecutors have introduced a series of items they say were found inside Mangione’s backpack, including:

• A 9 mm handgun prosecutors allege was the murder weapon
• A fully loaded magazine
• A silencer
• A notebook described as a manifesto
• A handwritten "to-do list" with instructions such as "Keep momentum," "FBI slower overnight," "Change hat, shoes," and "Pluck eyebrows"
• Travel plans referencing taking a bus or train west

The Manhattan district attorney’s office also shared photographs of the backpack and its contents, which have become central to the defense’s argument that the search was unlawful.

New bodycam video released

Criminal defense lawyer discusses bodycam footage of Luigi Mangione

FOX 5 NY's Sharon Crowley speaks with criminal defense lawyer Chase Brown about newly released bodycam footage of Altoona police approaching Luigi Mangione in a McDonald's before arresting him.

On Tuesday, prosecutors released body-camera video for the first time showing Altoona police confronting Mangione at the McDonald’s five days after Thompson’s killing. In the footage, officers ask Mangione to lower his face mask and provide his name and identification. He identifies himself as "Mark Rosario" and hands over what prosecutors say was a fake New Jersey driver’s license — an exchange that led to his arrest on forgery charges in Pennsylvania.

The video also shows moments in which officers attempt to keep the interaction calm as they delay informing him of the real reason for their arrival, telling him someone had reported a suspicious customer.

What's next:

The pretrial suppression hearing applies only to the state case. Once it concludes and a judge rules on what evidence may be admitted, the state trial can be scheduled. Mangione is also facing a separate federal prosecution, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. A federal judge will begin considering the admissibility of the same evidence in a hearing set for Jan. 9.

Court is scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. Thursday with additional testimony expected.