NEW YORK – Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson from behind in New York City last year, allegedly received a “heart-shaped” note from a supporter smuggled inside a pair of socks included in a change of clothes his defense team brought to court for his hearing, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.

The 26-year-old former Ivy Leaguer showed up shackled, wearing khaki pants, Rockport penny loafers and a green sweater under a bulletproof vest in a wink at supporters, who urged one another to wear green in reference to the character Luigi from Nintendo’s “Super Mario” franchise.

To spare him from appearing in a jail jumpsuit, Mangione’s defense allegedly gave a bag of clothes to Major Mike McKee, a New York State Court officer who was overseeing inmate transport, according to prosecutors. Investigator Sgt. Louis Capolupo conducted a search before giving the items to the defendant.

Despite the allegations of cold-blooded murder, Mangione has received vocal support online, including hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to his defense.

Early in the investigation, police said that they recovered bullet casings at the scene with handwritten messages on them: “defend,” “depose” and “deny” – an apparent reference to a book critical of the health insurance industry’s tendency to deny claims.

Supporters of Luigi Mangione gather outside court following a hearing on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last year. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

After the slaying, Mangione allegedly skipped town. However, police found him at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after people inside recognized him from a smiling suspect photo in an NYPD wanted poster.

Altoona police allegedly captured him with the suspected murder weapon, a fake ID and a manifesto slamming health insurers.