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Lawyers dispute that Mangione's mom said Midtown shooting 'might be something' he would do
By
Walter Wuthmann
Published Nov 13, 2025
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Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
By
Walter Wuthmann
Published Nov 13, 2025
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Lawyers for Luigi Mangione are asking police and prosecutors either to prove that Mangione’s mother told them the Midtown shooting of a health care executive “might be something that she could see him doing,” or correct the record.
In a December 2024 press conference, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said an officer contacted Kathleen Mangione after she’d filed a missing persons report in San Francisco. After police shared a picture of the suspect, Kenny said she didn’t indicate it was her son in the photograph but said that the shooting “might” be something he would do.
Defense attorneys now say there’s no evidence Mangione’s mother ever said this.
“In fact, all the discovery provided so far indicates that she did not make such a statement,” Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, wrote in a Wednesday court filing.
Prosecutors say Mangione shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of a hotel on West 54th Street last December. Police arrested Mangione at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a dayslong manhunt. Mangione has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Local and national media outlets widely publicized the chief of detectives' statement. If the quote turns out to be incorrect, Agnifilo alleges law enforcement “purposefully provided false information to prejudice Mr. Mangione’s ability to receive a fair trial.”
The defense is demanding that prosecutors either provide proof of Kathleen Mangione’s words through discovery, or correct the official record.
Representatives for the Manhattan district attorney's office and NYPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A call to a phone number listed for Kathleen Mangione indicated it was changed or disconnected.
A hearing in Mangione’s state criminal case is scheduled for Dec. 1. Mangione faces separate federal charges that could carry the death penalty.
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public safety
Walter Wuthmann
Walter Wuthmann is a reporter covering public safety and the legal system.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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