Accused assassin Luigi Mangione returned to court Monday for the first of three hearings in which his lawyers will ask the court to toss evidence in the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The 27-year-old Ivy League alumnus is accused of stalking Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, before allegedly shooting him from behind outside a Manhattan hotel.

Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, was expected to attend a shareholder conference later that morning.

LUIGI MANGIONE ARGUES DOUBLE JEOPARDY IN BID TO DROP MURDER CASE, SUPPRESS EVIDENCE

Mangione’s lawyers are asking the court to suppress evidence collected during his arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s five days after the murder. The evidence includes physical evidence from a backpack, including the suspected murder weapon and his journals, as well as statements he made to police before they read him a Miranda warning.

The first witness was NYPD Sgt. Chris McLaughlin, a member of the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information’s office, which is responsible for communications between police and the media. 

WATCH: Mangione battles to block crucial evidence from UnitedHealthcare CEO murder trial

Prosecutors asked McLaughlin about a series of surveillance photos and videos taken in the lead-up to the shooting and its immediate aftermath, including the image of a then-unidentified person of interest smiling at a woman at a Manhattan hostel, which led to Mangione’s arrest when witnesses saw him in Altoona and called police. 

Luigi Mangione allegedly killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group via AP)

LUIGI MANGIONE PROSECUTORS FIRE BACK ON ‘EAVESDROPPING’ CLAIM

The next witness was Bernad Pyles, who works at ADI Global Distribution, a security camera company that installed the surveillance system at the Altoona McDonald’s where police arrested Mangione.

During Pyles’ testimony, a monitor showed previously unseen surveillance video from the fast food restaurant, before, during and after his arrest.

In addition to murder and other charges in New York and federal court, Mangione faces firearms and fake ID charges in Pennsylvania. (Southern District of New York)

The third witness is Emily States, a 911 coordinator for the Blair County Department of Emergency Services. She testified about the 911 call placed before police arrived at McDonald’s, which was played publicly in court for the first time. 

The caller, a McDonald’s manager, described a customer, later identified as Mangione, to the dispatcher, saying he was wearing a heavy jacket and a beanie pulled down low. 

“I have a customer here that some other customers here say he looks like the CEO killer from New York,” the manager said, later explaining, “The only thing you can see is his eyebrows.”

BODYCAM IMAGES SHOW LUIGI MANGIONE’S MCDONALD’S ARREST

Prosecutors also played recordings from the dispatch radio with States on the stand, which illustrated the fake name and ID he allegedly gave to responding officers and some apparent confusion about his identity. When they ran his real name, they found no active warrants, according to the recordings.  

Next on the stand was Thomas Rivers, a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections officer at the facility where Mangione was held for 10 days before his return to New York to face charges.

He said he was told by a superior that authorities didn’t want an “Epstein-style situation.” 

According to authorities, accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein killed himself in a federal jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. Rivers said he spoke with Mangione about overseas travel, and the accused assassin mentioned a fight with “ladyboys” in Thailand —  an anecdote Mangione reportedly shared with friends over text message before his arrest.

Luigi Mangione shouts while officers restrain him as he arrives for his extradition hearing at Blair County Courthouse in  Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Mangione is the prime suspect in the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week. (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)

He said Mangione asked him about media coverage of his own case and that Mangione was “disappointed” people had compared to him to the “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski.

Mangione’s charges:

New York:

• Second-degree murder, 1 count
• Criminal possession of a weapon, 7 counts
• Possession of a forged instrument, 1 count

Federal:

• Interstate stalking resulting in death, 1 count
• Stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death, 1 count
• Murder through use of a firearm, 1 count
• Using a firearm equipped with a silencer in furtherance of a crime of violence, 1 count

WATCH: Luigi Mangione’s attorneys address his spirits amid lunch break during evidence hearing

The hearings are expected to run for several days, with a break on Wednesday.

There are three different types of suppression hearings — Mapp, Huntley and Mosley. Two of them are expected this week: a Mapp hearing, to determine whether certain types of physical evidence should be suppressed or thrown out, and a Huntley hearing, to determine if a confession or other statements to law enforcement are admissible. 

Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court, Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, in New York. (Yuki Iwamura, Pool via AP)

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has not yet finalized its trial strategy, and a Mosley hearing, which determines if non-eyewitnesses can testify at trial, is not expected yet.

Mangione faces a slew of charges in New York, Pennsylvania and federally.

A screenshot from surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows a person of interest, later identified as Luigi Mangione, in connection with the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024. (NYPD Crime Stoppers )

State-level terror charges were thrown out earlier this year, but Mangione still faces second-degree murder, seven counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and possession of a forged ID in New York.

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Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court, Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool)

He faces a maximum of life in prison in the Empire State.

If convicted on the top federal charges, he could face the death penalty.

This is a developing story. Stick with Fox News Digital for updates.