Defense Lawyer Seeks Dismissal of Charges in High-Profile Murder Case, Citing Police Misconduct

The legal team for Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man accused of killing Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare, has requested the dismissal of criminal charges he is facing in the state of Pennsylvania. Attorney Thomas Dickey submitted a motion arguing that critical violations occurred in the police procedures used during Mangione's arrest on December 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Mangione stands accused of fatally shooting Thompson on December 4 near a hotel in Midtown Manhattan and subsequently evading authorities. Following a nationwide manhunt, Mangione was apprehended nearly a week later at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona.

Attorney Dickey maintains that the Altoona Police had no reasonable suspicion or valid probable cause at the time of Mangione's arrest. According to the submitted motion, the police detained Mangione based solely on speculative identification rather than verified information or official confirmation from law enforcement in New York, the FBI, or Pennsylvania's Attorney General's Office.

The motion contends that Mangione was unlawfully detained for roughly twenty minutes without explanation or immediate provision of his Miranda rights. During this time, officers reportedly searched his belongings without a proper warrant, seizing items including a handgun, a suspected 3D-printed suppressor, handwritten notes, and a notebook described by authorities as a "manifesto." Mangione's attorney claims labeling the material a manifesto was prejudicially motivated, unfairly painting Mangione negatively in public perception.

Mangione now seeks not only dismissal of multiple state charges—such as forgery, firearm possession without a license, false identification, and possession of a criminal instrument—but also suppression of all evidence obtained from the arrest. His attorney further cites concerns raised previously by Mangione's New York attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who argued at a recent hearing that similar search-and-seizure violations occurred during his Pennsylvania arrest.

Mangione faces separate criminal proceedings in both New York and federal courts. In New York, he faces eleven counts, including murder as an act of terrorism, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Additionally, federal prosecutors have charged him with murder and stalking, though he has yet to enter a plea in this case.

In response to broad media attention and public interest, a GiveSendGo fund, organized by the December 4 Legal Committee to support Mangione's defense, has raised over $720,000. Agnifilo stated recently that Mangione greatly appreciates the support demonstrated by the fundraising campaign, planning to use these resources in his ongoing legal battles.

Mangione is scheduled to return to federal court in New York on March 19.