The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office does not want Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, to have a laptop in prison, and is also taking issue with what he was given to wear for a recent court appearance.
Mangione, 26, remains behind bars in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and is awaiting trial in the December shooting death of Brian Thompson.
Magione given socks and heart-shaped notes
Prior to his Feb. 21 court appearance, prosecutors say Mangione was given a bag of clothing from his defense team to change into. Inside, they say, was a new pair of socks wrapped around cardboard with two heart-shaped notes, one stating, in part, “Know there are thousands of people wishing you luck,” the filing stated.
Prosecutors say Mangione took them off because he thought, “They did not look good.”
“Secreted in the cardboard were two personal heart-shaped notes, one addressed to an unknown person named ‘Joan’ and the other to Luigi stating in part ‘know there are thousands of people wishing you luck,'” the filing said. “In spite of this, the defendant was permitted to wear the argyle socks, which he first changed into and later changed out of because he felt that ‘they did not look good.'”
Prosecutors argued the defendant has made unsubstantiated claims of unfair treatment. They allege, though, that he has been allowed to change into different clothing for pre-trial appearances when other defendants normally wear jail-issued clothing.
“Whereas most incarcerated defendants must wear jail-issued clothing at their calendar appearances, the People have ensured that this defendant has had the opportunity to change into different clothing when producing him to court,” prosecutors wrote.
They say the special treatment was “violated,” adding that, “Fortunately, the items smuggled were handwritten notes and not contraband capable of harming the transporting officers.”
“This defendant has ample access to desktop computers”
Mangione’s defense team recently filed a motion requesting permission for him to use a laptop while in federal custody so he can review evidence from the state.
The DA’s office is asking the court to deny that, arguing, in part, that the Metropolitan Detention Center says, “This defendant has ample access to desktop computers.”
“MDC assured the People that this defendant has ample access to desktop computers where he is housed to review discovery, conduct legal research, send emails, and draft motions,” prosecutors wrote, adding that “there is a concern that should the defendant have unfettered access to video surveillance, he may disseminate images of civilians captured on said video surveillance.”
Mangione’s attorneys also requested a list of the full discovery in the state’s possession. Among what has been given is body-worn camera footage, DNA testing, surveillance footage, photos of Mangione’s handwritten journals, shell casings, Monopoly money, and, in a backpack, zip ties, a knife, miscellaneous pills, a gun and a silencer.
Prosecutors responded saying they had provided all the evidence required and argued Mangione’s request for a “specially formulated laptop” should be denied.
Anna Schecter
contributed to this report.
