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The accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is putting on quite the show in a Manhattan courtroom. Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League grad turned alleged vigilante assassin, [I have to say 'alleged' in spite of video evidence of the cowardly shooting of Thompson in the back] reportedly pumped his fist on Monday, just the latest defiant gesture from a guy who's become a folk hero to the unhinged anti-corporate crowd, and 'bad boy women'.
The video shows Altoona police officer Christy Wasser rummaging through Mangione's backpack during his arrest at a McDonald's last year. That's when officers allegedly discovered a loaded magazine tucked away in a pair of wet underwear with or without skid marks.
"There was another magazine hidden in his underwear," Wasser says on the video. Another person then says, "it's f***ing him," according to reports.
This was the moment after a massive nationwide manhunt ended with Mangione's capture; the prime and only suspect in the cold-blooded shooting of Thompson, a father of two, who was gunned down from behind outside a New York hotel en route to an investor conference in December 2024.
Prosecutors say Mangione targeted the CEO over deep-seated rage against the health insurance industry, backed by a so-called "manifesto" and shell casings etched with words like "delay," "deny," and "depose."
Mangione, who pleaded not guilty across the board, faces life without parole in the state case and possibly the death penalty federally if convicted.
The 27-year-old is now deep into week two of pretrial hearings in the state proceedings, where his defense is desperately trying to suppress blockbuster evidence: the 9mm ghost gun matching the murder weapon, a notebook allegedly spilling his motives, and more—all pulled from that backpack without a warrant and, they claim, before Miranda rights were read.
His lawyers also want any statements he made tossed out for the same reason, possibly because it will prove his guilt.
But the prosecution isn't buying it. They argue the backpack search was perfectly legal, a quick safety sweep to ensure no weapons or explosives were in play when cops cornered him at that fast-food joint. It's standard operating procedure by law enforcement for their own safety.
On the statements front, prosecutors say Mangione was chatting voluntarily before formal custody kicked in, so no Miranda violation. The only quote they even plan to use? When cops asked his name, and he allegedly fed them a fake one.
Look, this guy's courtroom antics—fist-pumping like he's at a rally—only feed into the narrative that he's reveling in the notoriety. Meanwhile, a family man is dead, allegedly executed over some twisted grudge against "the system." If the evidence sticks, justice better be swift.
But the prosecution isn't buying it. They argue the backpack search was perfectly legal, a quick safety sweep to ensure no weapons or explosives were in play when cops cornered him at that fast-food joint. It's standard operating procedure by law enforcement for their own safety.
On the statements front, prosecutors say Mangione was chatting voluntarily before formal custody kicked in, so no Miranda violation. The only quote they even plan to use? When cops asked his name, and he allegedly fed them a fake one.
Look, this guy's courtroom antics—fist-pumping like he's at a rally—only feed into the narrative that he's reveling in the notoriety. Meanwhile, a family man is dead, allegedly executed over some twisted grudge against "the system." If the evidence sticks, justice better be swift.
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