Authorities say handwritten notes recovered from Luigi Mangione included reminders to “pluck eyebrows” and advice to stay ahead of investigators in the hours before the alleged assassination of a top US healthcare executive.
The 27-year-old was arrested in December last year over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. On Monday, the court was shown a series of to-do lists and travel plans seized from Mangione’s belongings, including one message that read: “Keep momentum, FBI slower overnight.”
Another note stated, “Change hat, shoes, pluck eyebrows,” while others laid out survival strategies for remaining on the run. These included travelling late at night, avoiding surveillance, and a starred reminder to “buy black shoes (white stripes too distinctive).”
Notes Detail Anti-Surveillance Tactics and Escape Plans
One list suggested spending more than three hours away from any security cameras and switching between various forms of transport to “Break CAM continuity”. Beneath that, another instruction read, “check reports for current situation”, which prosecutors believe may refer to monitoring news coverage of the developing manhunt.
The material was presented during a pretrial hearing as part of Mangione’s attempt to block prosecutors from using evidence found during his arrest at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania on 9 December 2024. Excerpts from police body-camera footage documenting the arrest were also released on Tuesday.
Prosecutors Cite Handgun, ‘Manifesto’ and Backpack Contents
Police discovered a 9mm handgun believed to match the weapon used to kill Thompson, along with a silencer and a red notebook that prosecutors described as a “manifesto”. They say the notebook contained handwriting consistent with the notes and allegedly outlined Mangione’s intention to “wack” a health insurance executive.
Mangione’s legal team has not challenged the authenticity of the notes or the other items recovered from his backpack, which included a pocket knife, fake ID, driver’s licence, passport, credit cards, AirPods, a protein bar, travel toothpaste and multiple flash drives.
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However, they argue the evidence should be thrown out because officers searched the backpack without a warrant.
Prosecutors maintain the search was lawful, saying officers were checking for a possible explosive device, and note that a warrant was later obtained.
Trial Prepares for High-Stakes Murder Case
Last week, Mangione viewed surveillance footage showing the moment Thompson, 50, was shot while walking to a New York City hotel ahead of his company’s annual investor conference.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal murder charges. The state case carries the possibility of life imprisonment, while federal prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty.
Two terrorism-related charges were dismissed in September after a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to show Mangione intended to intimidate health insurance workers or influence government policy.
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