New York (AFP) – A policeman testified Thursday that officers questioned the man suspected of murdering a US insurance executive, even after he had indicated he did not want to answer, as the defense seeks to exclude potentially incriminating evidence from trial. Luigi Mangione’s attorneys are attempting to prevent jurors hearing responses he gave officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, before he was read his rights. US suspects have a legal right to silence and to not self-incriminate, with the conduct of arresting officers under the microscope at pre-trial evidence hearings in New York state court this week.
Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthCare, was gunned down in Manhattan on December 4, 2024, in a crime that sent shockwaves through corporate America and exposed anger with the profit-driven private healthcare system. An officer who encountered and helped detain Mangione, Tyler Frye, recounted asking Mangione “what brings you up here from New Jersey?” after he produced a driving license from the state.
Mangione, 27, indicated in an exchange captured by Frye’s body-worn camera he did not want to talk. “I don’t know what you guys are up to I’m just going to wait,” he said as he continued to eat and Christmas music played. Frye said in cross-examination Thursday that he had been trained to lie to suspects and use ruses to secure information, and that he thought the man he encountered in a McDonald’s restaurant — Mangione — was the New York shooter.
The court was shown officers questioning Mangione about why he was in Altoona, 300 miles from Manhattan, and if he had been in New York. Mangione is charged in both state and federal court in the shooting of Thompson and faces life imprisonment with no parole in the state case, and the death penalty in the federal process. Mangione’s defense team are also seeking to have evidence recovered from his bag, including a gun and a notebook with comments about the health system, kept from jurors because officers did not have a search warrant.
Frye said that neither he nor his partner Joseph Detwiler told Mangione he was under arrest or not free to leave while they were initially asking questions. Frye testified McDonald’s staff had raised the alarm about Mangione. Officers were shown approaching a man in a medical mask sitting surrounded by McDonald’s food before subsequently producing an allegedly fake New Jersey driving license with the name “Mark Rosario.”
Mangione appeared in court Thursday wearing a white shirt and a grey jacket, stroking his chin as Frye was questioned. No schedule has been set for any jury trial. Mangione’s supporters, mostly young women, were in court to see the hearing, with one wearing a “New Yorkers for Luigi” shirt. The court was shown video of Mangione accompanied by police entering the Altoona police station, where officers strip-searched him and went through property that included a handgun, a suppressor, and a jar of Skippy peanut butter. A checklist also found on Mangione contained entries including “intel check in” and reminders to purchase a camera from Best Buy.
© 2024 AFP
