LUIGI Mangione has accused cops of tricking him to get his DNA by offering him a snack following his arrest.
The alleged assassin, 26, claimed cops offered him food and drinks after he was arrested in December at the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and then used the snacks for DNA testing.
Mangione is now trying to get the DNA thrown out in his murder trial as he’s accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024.
His attorney, Thomas Dickey, claimed cops only gave Mangione food so they could get the sample.
The suspect was pictured munching on a McDonald’s hashbrown on the morning he was handcuffed and thrown behind bars before being extradited to New York City.
Dickey said while he was being interrogated, cops offered him food and drink that they took away to use for evidence.
He slammed the DNA samples as “poisonous fruits” because they were obtained from an illegal search, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
Mangione’s legal team said the cops who approached Mangione on the morning of December 9 didn’t even have a proper legal reason to do so.
In the recently filed 36 pages of documents, the Pennsylvania defense attorney argued cops confronted Mangione “based on a hunch.”
He said cops had “no objective grounds” for nabbing Mangione.
Mangione’s attorneys also claimed the cops illegally took his bag and the notebook containing his alleged manifesto.
Cops previously revealed the manifesto indicated Mangione allegedly had premeditated plans to shoot Thompson dead on a Manhattan street.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”CEO ‘killer’ Luigi Mangione’s horror start to 2025 in windowless cell as he’s forced to ‘pick between shower & workout'” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”pV1KxHf2t” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6366661919112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]However, Dickey claimed using Mangione’s personal experiences and writing wasn’t fair.
Plus, he said they shouldn’t have even called it a manifesto.
Dickey said calling it a manifesto was “done so solely for the purpose to prejudice [Mangione] and put him in a negative light before the public; all in an effort to prejudice any potential jury pool.”
His legal team submitted the filing asking to get rid of all evidence against Mangione when he was first arrested in Pennsylvania.
[boxout headline=”Timeline of Brian Thompson’s murder” intro=”BRIAN Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot to death in Manhattan in an execution-like killing.”]Here is everything we know about Thompson’s murder so far.
Monday, December 2 – Thompson travels from his home in Minnesota to New York City for an investor conference in Midtown Manhattan.
Wednesday, December 4, 6:45 am – Thompson walks from his hotel across the street to the New York Hilton Midtown and is murdered by a masked shooter. The execution was caught on surveillance, and the suspect was seen biking away toward Central Park. Cops spark a citywide search for the assassin.
11:30 am – Cops released disturbing images of the execution, offered a reward for information, and made a desperate plea for New Yorkers to keep their eyes out.
12:00 pm – Thompson’s estranged wife Paulette revealed her husband had been threatened before he was shot.
2:45 pm – Cops released more eerie images of the suspect ordering at Starbucks that partially revealed his face. The U.S. Sun confirmed the coffee shop was just two blocks away from the shooting, but it’s unclear when he stopped by.
December 5, 6 am – Reports claim the words “deny,” “dispose,” and “defend” were engraved on live rounds and shell casings left behind by the assassin. These words echo the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which is about the failings of the healthcare industry. The author of the book had no comment on the reports.
8 am– Cops raid a hostel in the Upper West Side of New York City where the suspect is said to have stayed. It’s believed he wore a mask for most of the time he was there.
11 am – A person of interest in Thompson’s murder is pictured. He’s wearing a hood in the photo, but his full face could be seen breaking into a beaming grin. Still, no arrests have been made in the investigation.
Afternoon – Law enforcement confirms the suspect arrived in New York City on a Greyhound bus on November 24. It’s also confirmed that the suspect dropped a burner cell phone near the scene of the shooting.
December 6, 3 pm – Police announce they believe the killer has left New York City via interstate bus. They release more surveillance footage that shows him taking a taxi to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.
December 9 – Luigi Mangione, 26, is arrested as a “strong person of interest” at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was carrying a three-page manifesto, fake IDs, and a gun similar to the one used in Thompson’s murder.
Altoona police first rushed to the fast food giant when they received a call about a “suspicious male” resembling the suspect who shot Thompson in New York City.
Mangione was wearing a beanie and a medical mask as he casually sat at the spot, which is 325 miles west of New York City.
A five-day manhunt was underway for the CEO killer at the time.
NEXT STEPS
In Pennsylvania, Mangione faces charges of forgery, giving a fake ID to police, and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Even if the DNA evidence was thrown out in the Pennsylvania case, he would still face the federal and New York state charges against him.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to 11 state charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism, and multiple weapons charges.
He hasn’t entered a plea yet for his federal charges of murder through the use of a firearm, two stalking charges, and a firearms offense.
The alleged assassin is now awaiting trial behind bars in New York City in connection to Thompson’s execution-style murder.