People Are Asking If Luigi Mangione Is Being Released Amid Recent Court Appearances

The accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson appeared in court for several hearings on Dec. 2, 2025, and people are wondering if Luigi Mangione is being released.

The CEO was shot to death on Dec. 4, 2024, in New York City outside of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Mangione was indicted for the murder on Dec. 17, and he was charged with terrorism, first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and several gun possession charges.

A manhunt for Mangione ended when he was spotted at a McDonald's on Dec. 9 in Altoona, Penn. Police officer Joseph Detwiler testified at the hearing that he "knew it was him immediately" when he saw Mangione at the fast-food restaurant. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the crimes.

No, Luigi Mangione is not being released. He was in court on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 for pre-trial hearings to determine what evidence will be used in his trial, per ABC News. His attorneys argued to prevent prosecutors from using certain evidence against him — specifically, the alleged murder weapon as well as a manifesto that prosecutors claim is a confession. The lawyers argued that the evidence was seized unlawfully when Mangione's backpack was searched without a warrant.

Mangione's defense team argued that the police officer violated the 27-year-old's rights by interrogating him for close to 20 minutes without reading him his Miranda rights. The attorneys argued that the mistake should justify barring prosecutors from using statements Mangione made to the police.

After he admitted his real name, Officer Stephen Fox read Mangione his Miranda rights, 19 minutes after he was first questioned by the police.

According to CBS News, Mangione allegedly had foreign currency in his backpack, as well as a 3D-printed pistol. The authorities also said that Mangione is under suicide watch because they "did not want an Epstein situation," a reference to accused sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein dying inside his prison cell back in 2019.

One of Mangione's lawyers, Karen Agnifolo, released a statement, per NBC News.

"Law enforcement has methodically and purposefully trampled his constitutional rights by interrogating him without Miranda warnings in violation of the Fifth Amendment and illegally searching his property without a warrant in violation of the Fourth Amendment," she wrote.

The UnitedHealthcare CEO was shot once in the back and once in the calf while he was attending an investor conference for the health insurance company in New York City. The murder was captured on video and featured a man who resembled Mangione shooting at the CEO.

After the murder, many people praised Mangione on social media and called him a "hero" and a "saint" for standing up to the corrupt healthcare system.

"Free Luigi Mangione! Patron Saint of the Infirme," wrote one user on social media. Another used an old episode of The Sopranos to make their point. "He went against private health insurance corporations is what he did. He also left book reviews on Goodreads. He was a brave Italian American, and in this house, Luigi Mangione is a hero, end of story!"