NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, 27, is scheduled to appear in court this week for a pretrial hearing related to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The hearing comes nearly one year after Thompson was shot and killed in Midtown Manhattan. Prosecutors allege that Mangione is responsible for the crime, and this hearing could significantly impact the evidence presented at his upcoming trial.

Mangione's defense team is seeking to exclude key evidence from the trial, including a 3D-printed gun and a notebook containing writings that prosecutors claim indicate a motive for the murder. The notebook reportedly includes statements such as, "I finally feel confident about what I will do. The target is insurance. It checks every box." These items were seized during Mangione's arrest in Pennsylvania last year.

The hearing, set to begin Monday in New York's State Supreme Court, will address the legality of the evidence collected during Mangione's arrest. His attorneys argue that police conducted an illegal search of his backpack without a warrant and questioned him without informing him of his rights. They contend that this violates his constitutional rights and that any evidence obtained as a result should be deemed inadmissible.

Defense lawyers have pointed to body camera footage from the arrest, which shows officers questioning Mangione at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he was apprehended five days after the shooting. They claim that police did not read him his Miranda rights until 20 minutes into the interrogation. Mangione's attorneys argue that the police created an "armed human wall" around him, effectively trapping him during the questioning.

In addition to the gun and notebook, the defense is also trying to suppress statements Mangione made to police, including allegedly providing a false name. If successful, this could hinder the prosecution's case by removing critical evidence linking Mangione to the crime.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has defended the legality of the arrest and the search, asserting that the evidence would have been discovered inevitably. They argue that the search was justified to ensure public safety, as officers were concerned about potential dangerous items in the backpack.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and other offenses in state court. He also faces separate federal charges, which could result in the death penalty. The state trial date has not yet been set, but the outcome of this week's hearing will shape the prosecution's case.

Thompson was shot on December 4, 2024, as he walked to a hotel for an investor conference. Surveillance footage captured the incident, showing a masked gunman approaching and shooting him from behind. Prosecutors have indicated that the ammunition found at the scene contained phrases that reflect how insurance companies often avoid paying claims.

As the hearing unfolds, it is expected to last several days, with the possibility of more than two dozen witnesses being called to testify. Judge Gregory Carro will preside over the proceedings, which may coincide with the one-year anniversary of Thompson's death on Thursday.