Luigi Mangione Fights Murder Charge, Cites Double Jeopardy and Seeks Evidence Suppression

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is fighting back hard in court. His defense team has filed a motion to the New York Supreme Court aiming to suppress key evidence and get the entire murder case thrown out. If you thought court drama was only for TV, think again.

Attorney Karen Friedman Angifilo argues that Mangione’s statements to police in Altoona, Pennsylvania—where he was found at a McDonald's—shouldn't be used in court. She claims that officers boxed him in at the restaurant, questioned him before reading him his Miranda rights, and basically broke his Fifth Amendment rights in the process.

The defense is also targeting evidence from Mangione’s backpack, which police searched without a warrant after his arrest. The haul? A handgun, silencer, loaded magazine, notebook full of personal writings, a computer chip, iPhone, and a handful of USB drives. If there was ever a backpack that screamed ‘evidence’, this might be it.

Police also discovered a “small item” wrapped in tape and cardboard, revealing another computer chip. The defense wants all this tossed out, saying the search was unconstitutional.

But that's not all. Mangione’s lawyers want to block the state from using officers to identify him in surveillance footage, arguing these officers weren’t eyewitnesses or even familiar with Mangione before watching the tapes. According to the motion, their testimony shouldn’t count as official ID.

On top of that, the defense is pushing to dismiss the terrorism charges, claiming the grand jury never proved Mangione intended to intimidate or coerce the public or government. And, in a real legal Hail Mary, they say trying him at both state and federal levels amounts to double jeopardy—a constitutional no-no.

"This Court is all that stands between justice and Mr. Mangione being forced to stand trial against illegally obtained evidence," the defense motion concludes—really laying it on thick for the judge.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office says it will fire back with its own filings soon. Meanwhile, Mangione, 26, is also facing federal charges, including using a firearm equipped with a silencer, interstate stalking, and murder. Prosecutors allege he ambushed Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel during a UnitedHealthcare shareholder event, with a manifesto discovered at his arrest suggesting the killing was meant to send a chilling message to the healthcare industry.

If convicted, Mangione could face the death penalty. It’s clear this case has more twists than a pretzel factory, and we’ll be watching every move.