Madeline Halpertin court, New York
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Mr Mangione has watched as the court plays body camera footage from the day of his arrest
Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a case that sparked national attention, watched as new testimony and never-before-seen footage from the day of his arrest in a McDonald’s was unveiled during a hearing this week.
Mr Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state charges related to the 2024 murder of Mr Thompson, a father of two, as well as federal counts that carry the possibility of the death penalty.
The pre-trial hearing is focused on the defence’s attempts to keep certain evidence out of the trial, which has not been scheduled yet, including items found in his backpack during his arrest and statements he made to officers.
During the first two weeks of the hearing, supporters of Mr Mangione – the scion of a prominent Maryland family and Ivy League graduate – filled the back rows of the Manhattan criminal courtroom, some wearing a pin portraying him as a saint-like figure.
Prosecutors and Mr Mangione’s legal team are expected to question over a dozen witnesses from the day of his arrest, including the employees who spotted him and the police who arrested him.
Here is a look at some of the key pieces of evidence discussed that offer a window into Mr Mangione’s trial.
An eyebrow giveaway
The pre-trial hearing has centred on the small-town McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where officers were shocked to find the high-profile suspect days after Mr Thompson was fatally shot – and hours from the busy Midtown Manhattan crime scene.
Witnesses suggested the arrest may never have occurred there if not for one of Mr Mangione’s key features: his eyebrows.
During the first day of the hearing, prosecutors played a call to police from a McDonald’s employee about a tip from a customer in the restaurant.
The employee said the customer thought a patron looked like the suspect in the United Healthcare CEO shooting. The patron was well covered, wearing a black hoodie, a medical mask and a tan beanie. But one key detail stuck out.
“The only thing you can see is his eyebrows,” the employee told police.
It was not the only time Mr Mangione’s distinguished eyebrows have come up.
Prosecutors also entered into evidence notecards they say Mr Mangione had, which appeared to be to-do lists for the days after the high-profile shooting.
One card reads: “Keep momentum, FBI slower overnight,” while another s
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