As Luigi Mangione returns to court in a bid to exclude evidence from his state murder trial in New York, new details have been revealed about his time in police custody and the 911 call that led to his arrest days after the killing of a health care executive.

During a pretrial hearing on Monday, Dec. 1, a corrections officer said he closely monitored Mangione to avoid an "Epstein-style situation," referring to the suicide of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein while he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

"I had to fill out a form about his movements seven times an hour," said Tomas Rivers, an officer at SCI Huntingdon in Pennsylvania, where Mangione was held before being extradited to New York. Rivers also said Mangione spoke with him about everything from nationalized health care and his travels abroad to the public's perception of his case.

Later, Judge Gregory Carro heard the fateful 911 call that led to Mangione's arrest at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in Midtown, Manhattan, on Dec. 4, 2024.

During the call, a McDonald's manager told a dispatcher that customers were concerned about a man in the restaurant who resembled surveillance images of Thompson's alleged killer.

"I have a customer here that some other customers were suspicious of ... he looks like the CEO shooter from New York," the manager said, adding: "I'm like, 'I don't know what to do here, guys.'"

Over the clamor of breakfast orders, the manager described what Mangione was wearing – a black jacket, a medical mask and a brown beanie. The dispatcher instructed her to keep an eye on the man and said an officer was on his way.

Altoona police officers soon took Mangione into custody and authorities charged him in separate state and federal cases. The shooting sparked a national debate as public officials condemned the killing and Mangione became a folk hero to those critical of high healthcare costs in the U.S.

The hearings in New York, which are expected to last several days, center around evidence that Mangione's attorneys are seeking to have thrown out ahead of his state murder trial, including a notebook with details about the alleged plot and a 3D-printed gun authorities say is tied to the murder scene.

Mangione's defense team alleges Altoona police officers unconstitutionally questioned and searched Mangione. Prosecutors reject the defense's arguments and say the officers acted lawfully.

The University of Pennsylvania graduate faces nine felony counts in his New York state case, including second-degree murder. In September, Carro threw out two of the more serious charges against Mangione: first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism.

Separately, Mangione faces multiple federal charges and the government has vowed to seek the death penalty. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

After the evidentiary hearings wrap up, Carro is expected to decide what evidence will be allowed at trial. No trial date has been set in either of Mangione's state or federal cases.

This story has been updated to add new information.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luigi Mangione monitored to avoid 'Epstein-style situation,' officer says

Reporting by Christopher Cann, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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