A three-week pretrial hearing for Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, provided a deeper look into the moments leading up to his arrest, the evidence police collected, and the arguments now determining whether it will be admissible at his future murder trial. The hearing ended Thursday in New York, but a ruling from Judge Gregory Carro is not expected before May 18. Mangione, 27, who has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal murder charges, was arrested in December 2024 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The arrest was triggered by a 911 call reporting the presence of a man resembling “the CEO shooter,” according to a recording played in court. The restaurant manager told the dispatcher: “I have a customer here that some other customers were suspicious of that he looks like the CEO shooter from New York. They’re just really upset and they’re like coming to me and I was like, ‘Well, I can’t approach them, you know.’” The manager, whose name was redacted from the released recording, noted Mangione was wearing a medical mask and a beanie pulled low on his forehead, leaving only his eyes and eyebrows visible. “It’s not really an emergency,” she told the dispatcher, explaining she had first tried calling a non-emergency number but couldn’t get through. Initially skeptical, Altoona police officers responded to the McDonald’s. During testimony, Patrolman Joseph Detwiler was said to have reacted with apparent sarcasm, replying “10-4” to the dispatcher’s request. Lt. Tom Hanelly Jr., the supervisor on the scene, testified he reminded Detwiler to take the call seriously and even texted a playful incentive: the promise of a large turkey hoagie with zesty sauce from Luigetta’s if he apprehended the suspect. Upon arriving, officers found Mangione eating breakfast. Officer Stephen Fox’s body-worn camera captured the arrest, parts of which were played in court for the first time. Prosecutors showed hours of footage from several officers, capturing the search of Mangione’s backpack and his interactions before and after he was handcuffed, all set against a soundtrack of “Jingle Bell Rock” and other holiday music playing in the background. Footage showed officers confronting Mangione and asking for his identification. He first provided a fake name, “Mark Rosario,” along with a phony New Jersey driver’s license. After the ID failed verification in police databases, Mangione admitted the deception, provided his real name, and said he “clearly shouldn’t have” lied. Fox later testified, “If he had provided us with his actual name, he would not have committed a crime.” The alias, he said, matched one used by the suspected shooter to buy a bus ticket and check into a Manhattan hostel. The false identity gave Altoona police a legal basis to arrest and hold Mangione for New York authorities. An ongoing point of contention at the hearing was whether officers had the legal right to search Mangione’s backpack without a warrant. One officer can be heard on video saying, “We'll probably need a search warrant,” yet police went on to examine the bag both at the scene and again later, before obtaining judicial approval. Officer Christy Wasser testified the search was prompted by concerns Mangione might be carrying a bomb. However, defense attorneys argued that the restaurant was never evacuated, with some customers seen walking to a nearby bathroom while the search occurred. Wasser stopped shortly after retrieving a loaded magazine wrapped in underwear. “It’s him, dude. It’s him, 100%,” Fox is heard saying in the footage as Wasser held up the magazine, reportedly linking Mangione to the weapon used in the killing of Thompson. Inside the backpack, officers found not only a gun but a notebook described by prosecutors as a “manifesto,” as well as several items Altoona Police Sgt. Eric Heuston categorized as “goodies” possibly connecting Mangione to efforts to evade capture. Among these were to-do lists, a hand-drawn map, and survival instructions. One note read, “Keep momentum, FBI slower overnight.” Another advised, “Change hat, shoes, pluck eyebrows.” The map found in the bag linked Pittsburgh to cities like Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, and St. Louis, with a note reading “get off early.” Other contents included foreign currency, a 3D-printed pistol, protein bars, flash drives, AirPods, a travel-sized toothpaste, and both real and fake forms of identification. Heuston also testified that shortly after the arrest, he shared notebook entries with NYPD detectives over the phone. “I was telling them some of the things that we found that made it more likely than not that he was the shooter,” he said. Following his arrest, Mangione was transferred to SCI Huntingdon, a Pennsylvania state prison under close supervision in a special housing unit. Correctional officers testified that Mangione made unsolicited statements during his confinement. Officer Matthew Henry said Mangione told him he had foreign currency and a 3D-printed gun in his backpack at the time of his arrest. Officer Tomas Rivers testified that Mangione asked whether media attention was focused more on himself or the crime, and discussed the differences between nationalized and private healthcare systems. Rivers also noted that the prison took extra precautions because its superintendent “did not want an Epstein-style situation.” Back in court, Mangione was visibly engaged throughout the hearings, often taking notes, conferring with his legal team, and watching surveillance and police footage played by prosecutors. Dressed in suits and uncuffed, he occasionally turned to acknowledge supporters in the gallery. At one point, he pumped his fist for photographers. On another day, he gestured at a camera that came too close. During the hearing, Judge Carro made no indication of how he will rule on the evidence. Both sides have been invited to submit written arguments. Mangione’s attorneys are seeking to exclude all backpack evidence and statements made prior to the administration of his Miranda rights. Prosecutors maintain the search was lawful and argue Mangione was not yet in custody at the time of initial questioning. Officer testimony on this point varied, with one noting Mangione “was not free to leave until I identified who he was,” though he never told Mangione as much, and footage showed officers standing between Mangione and the exit. The next hearing in Mangione’s federal case, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, is scheduled for January 9. No trial dates have yet been set.