Newly revealed audio and video show moments leading up to the arrest of Luigi Mangione
More details about the manhunt that led to the arrest of Luigi Mangione—the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024—were revealed during a Monday court hearing to discuss what evidence may be used during the upcoming murder trial.
In a New York City courtroom, new video and audio evidence was seen in public for the first time, including a tape of the phone call a McDonald’s worker in Pennsylvania placed to authorities.
While police have long claimed an employee was responsible for the report that led to Mangione’s arrest, this is the first time it’s been confirmed as true.
“I have a customer here that some other customers are suspicious of who looks like the CEO shooter, and they’re really upset and they’re coming to me,” the employee said on the 911 call tape played in court.
That unnamed individual said they were basing their identification on widely released photos of Thompson's suspected assailant. During the hearing, prosecutors asked a New York City Police Department representative about how the images were obtained and released.
Similarly, a 911 dispatcher was questioned about the call from an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s that led to the apprehension of the Maryland native. Video from the arrest was shown without audio, where police can be seen questioning the suspect for some 30 minutes before he was detained and searched.
Police allegedly found a gun thought to be the murder weapon, as well as a notebook containing a handwritten note where Mangione alludes to his motives, in a backpack he was carrying.
Defense pushes for search to be thrown out
The defense is attempting to have all of that evidence excluded from trial, arguing that law enforcement unlawfully detained Mangione and failed to inform him of his Constitutional right to remain silent.
Prosecutors flatly deny there was anything unlawful about the search and subsequent seizure of the reported evidence.
The court has yet to issue a final ruling on the matter, as the hearings are expected to continue throughout the week. Judge Gregory Carro is overseeing the state murder trial against the accused, who faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
Mangione also faces separate federal charges of murder, where the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the death penalty.
The state trial will conclude before the federal court has its say. Currently, the state’s murder case is in the preliminary stages, where it’s decided what evidence will be allowed to be presented—and what defense lawyers representing Mangione intend to present in front of a jury.
He has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.