Moussa Sangare, the 31-year-old arrested for allegedly killing Sharon Verzeni, remained under “close surveillance” on Saturday in a Bergamo prison cell. He is detained there after confessing to the murder, investigative sources said.
Sangare’s lawyer, Giacomo May, described him as “in a daze” during a visit ahead of a hearing with a preliminary investigations judge (GIP) to confirm his arrest.
After his arrest on Friday, Sangare claimed he had left his home in Susio, near Terno d’Isola, about an hour before the murder, armed with a knife, intending to stab anyone he encountered. Before he saw Verzeni, he allegedly threatened two teenagers, according to his account.
He then saw Verzeni “watching the stars” with her earphones on and stabbed her. He said he apologised to the 33-year-old before killing her on the night of 29-30 July, in Terno d’Isola. According to investigators, Verzeni repeatedly asked, “why” as he stabbed her.
Sangare said he fled the scene by bicycle and later changed some parts of it to avoid recognition. He also cut his hair for the same reason, the sources said.
On Friday, Bergamo prosecutor Maria Cristina Rota said: “At the end of a very intense investigation, we were able to identify the man on the bicycle” seen fleeing the crime scene in surveillance footage. “When questioned, [he] fully confessed” to the murder.
Rota urged the two teenagers, who were allegedly threatened before the murder, to come forward.
Sangare was born in Milan to parents from the Ivory Coast. He is unemployed and lives near Terno d’Isola, where the murder took place. Prosecutors requested his arrest over concerns he might repeat the crime, destroy evidence, or flee.
Sangare claimed he had “sudden raptus”
Sangare, who aspired to become a rapper, had collaborated with musicians like Izi and Ernia. He had a police record for domestic abuse against his mother and sister and lived in an occupied building when Carabinieri police arrested him.
He told investigators he experienced a “sudden raptus” and could “not explain” why he killed Verzeni, whom he did not know, expressing that he was “sorry,” according to sources. Investigators, however, suspect the murder was premeditated, as he left home armed.
They also noted he had a knife-throwing target shaped like a person in his home.
On Saturday, Luigi Scudieri, the lawyer for Verzeni’s family, contested the claim that Sangare acted due to a “sudden raptus” or “fit of rage.” He challenged reports about “the absence of premeditation,” emphasising that Sangare left home armed and, “before killing Sharon, had all the time to threaten two other people.”
Sangare also disclosed the location of the murder weapon near the Adda river in Medalogo, which the Carabinieri police’s RIS forensic unit is examining.
State attorneys are evaluating whether similar murders have occurred in the area, sources said.
Partner of Verzeni glad uncertainty is over
Following Sangare’s arrest, Verzeni’s partner, Sergio Ruocco, said: “After a month of uncertainty, the news has given us a bit of relief, cancelling all insinuations against us.”
Ruocco, who lived with Verzeni, a 33-year-old beautician working at a local bar, was questioned several times but was never placed under investigation. “Nobody will give me back my Sharon, but I will always keep her memory alive, and I know this will help me continue my life.”
Flowers, candles, and a sign reading “justice has been done” were left at the crime scene in Via Castegnate. Another note read, “Terno is not a safe place anymore.”
