Pennsylvania Police Were Convinced Mangione Was CEO Killer After Finding Loaded Gun in McDonald's Bag.
Moments after Luigi Mangione was handcuffed at a Pennsylvania McDonald's, police officer Christy Wasser found a loaded gun magazine wrapped in a pair of underwear. The discovery led to the arrest of the 27-year-old, who is now fighting to keep evidence from his New York murder case, including the handgun and notebook found in his backpack.
According to court testimony on Monday, Mangione's lawyers are trying to bar prosecutors from using the evidence against him, arguing that police did not have a search warrant and lacked grounds for the warrantless search. Prosecutors, however, claim the search was legal and that they eventually obtained a warrant.
During the hearing, Wasser testified that Altoona police protocols require searching a suspect's property immediately after an arrest to look for potential threats. However, she acknowledged in her testimony that police never cleared the restaurant of customers or employees before conducting the search.
Body-worn camera footage shows Mangione being asked if there was anything officers should be concerned about. He invoked his right to remain silent and then remained quiet. Wasser testified that she wanted to check the bag for a bomb before leaving the McDonald's, but did not find one.
The discovery of the loaded magazine convinced police in Altoona that Mangione was the man they were looking for – Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO who was killed in Manhattan five days earlier. The writings in Mangione's notebook showed his disdain for health insurers and ideas about killing a CEO at an investor conference.
Mangione's lawyers claim the evidence should be excluded due to the lack of a search warrant and improper search procedures. However, prosecutors argue that the search was legal and that the handgun found in the backpack matches the firearm used in Thompson's killing.
The hearing only applies to the state case, with Mangione's lawyers also seeking to exclude the evidence from his federal case, where they are seeking the death penalty.
Moments after Luigi Mangione was handcuffed at a Pennsylvania McDonald's, police officer Christy Wasser found a loaded gun magazine wrapped in a pair of underwear. The discovery led to the arrest of the 27-year-old, who is now fighting to keep evidence from his New York murder case, including the handgun and notebook found in his backpack.
According to court testimony on Monday, Mangione's lawyers are trying to bar prosecutors from using the evidence against him, arguing that police did not have a search warrant and lacked grounds for the warrantless search. Prosecutors, however, claim the search was legal and that they eventually obtained a warrant.
During the hearing, Wasser testified that Altoona police protocols require searching a suspect's property immediately after an arrest to look for potential threats. However, she acknowledged in her testimony that police never cleared the restaurant of customers or employees before conducting the search.
Body-worn camera footage shows Mangione being asked if there was anything officers should be concerned about. He invoked his right to remain silent and then remained quiet. Wasser testified that she wanted to check the bag for a bomb before leaving the McDonald's, but did not find one.
The discovery of the loaded magazine convinced police in Altoona that Mangione was the man they were looking for – Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO who was killed in Manhattan five days earlier. The writings in Mangione's notebook showed his disdain for health insurers and ideas about killing a CEO at an investor conference.
Mangione's lawyers claim the evidence should be excluded due to the lack of a search warrant and improper search procedures. However, prosecutors argue that the search was legal and that the handgun found in the backpack matches the firearm used in Thompson's killing.
The hearing only applies to the state case, with Mangione's lawyers also seeking to exclude the evidence from his federal case, where they are seeking the death penalty.
! I mean, how can police just start searching a suspect's bag in a public place like McDonald's without clearing it first? It's crazy! They were literally looking for a bomb and found a loaded gun magazine wrapped in underwear... talk about a red flag 
. And now Mangione is fighting to get that evidence out because his lawyers claim it was done without a warrant and wasn't even properly searched.
This whole thing feels like a huge mistake. I hope Mangione's lawyers can get some of that evidence thrown out, it's just not right 
. The body-worn camera footage shows how calm and collected Mangione was during the arrest, which makes this whole situation even more suspicious 
.
But at the same time, you've got to wonder if police really thought they were searching for a bomb in a crowded McDonald's with customers and employees around... 
It's just so suspicious! And Mangione was totally cooperative, only invoking his right after being asked. What's he hiding? 
i wonder what kind of food it likes to eat... maybe some nuts or seeds? anyway back to this news story... police protocols seem pretty lax to me, searching a bag without clearing the area first is just common sense. like if you walked into a restaurant with a loaded gun in your backpack, wouldn't they want to know about that beforehand? i guess i just have my opinion...
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing... if you're going to arrest someone at a McDonald's, shouldn't there be some sort of clear reason for it? 
It just seems so... sloppy. And now we're talking about whether or not this search was even legit. I don't know, man... it all feels a little too convenient to me 
. Can you imagine how intimidating it must've been for the customers at that McDonald's to have some cop start rummaging through bags without warning?