Overview

• Defense filings submitted Saturday in Manhattan federal court seek dismissal of the murder‑through‑use‑of‑a‑firearm count and a related firearms charge, the only path to a death sentence in the case.
• The motion asks the judge to suppress Mangione’s statements at a McDonald’s in Altoona and evidence from his backpack, arguing he was questioned without Miranda warnings and the search was conducted without a warrant.
• Prosecutors say the backpack held a 9mm handgun, ammunition and writings that could suggest motive, and they have alleged the gun was equipped with a silencer under a separate firearms count.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors in April to pursue the death penalty, which hinges on a federal firearms‑murder statute tied to other crimes of violence not available under New York law.
• A state judge last month dismissed two terrorism‑related counts in the separate New York case; Mangione has pleaded not guilty and remains held without bail as federal proceedings continue with arguments expected in December.