Those allegedly responsible for the murder of 17-year-old Thomas Christopher Luciani, whose body was found yesterday evening in the undergrowth of Baden Powell Park in central Pescara, have been arrested.
The suspects, both minors, are reportedly the son of a lawyer and the son of a marshal commander of a local station in a nearby municipality in Pescara province. After the crime, the two reportedly went swimming in the sea, where they likely disposed of the knife used in the attack. The boy’s body, abandoned in the undergrowth, was discovered late in the evening. It appears the two suspects were part of a group of seven or eight people.
Initial information indicates the murder victim suffered around 25 stab wounds. The attackers allegedly continued stabbing him even after he was lifeless on the ground. The motive behind the attack appears to be a drug debt of a few hundred euros, possibly 200 or 250. It is currently unclear if the minors intended to kill or if the situation escalated unexpectedly.
Investigators describe the situation as delicate. The crime seems to have occurred within the context of small-scale drug dealing and took place in the late afternoon of Sunday in a central area of the city. The wounds suggest the weapon used was a diving knife. Fire brigade divers are working to recover the weapon.
Investigations by the mobile team of the Pescara Police Headquarters are ongoing. Last night, officers from the Flying Squad, forensic police, emergency responders, Chief Prosecutor Giuseppe Bellelli, and medical examiner Cristian D’Ovidio were all on site in Baden Powell Park.
The Incident
The group of boys, involved in small-scale drug dealing, went to the park. Two of them met the 17-year-old in an isolated area and repeatedly stabbed him, possibly with a diving knife, based on the injuries.
After abandoning him in the weeds, the group left and went to a seaside establishment where they took a swim. According to collected testimonies, the killers discarded the knife there. Searches by fire brigade divers continue for the weapon.
Immediately after discovering the young man’s body, highly specialised personnel from the Pescara Flying Squad, along with the Flying Squad and Scientific Police, conducted interviews throughout the night with potential witnesses and individuals with knowledge of the incident. Crucial to the investigation were the surveillance camera images from the park and the beach establishment where the group went after the crime.
One of the youths in the group, who was with the two suspects, alerted authorities to the murder of 17-year-old Thomas Luciani a few hours after the incident, realising the gravity of the situation. This led to the discovery of the body and the swift identification of the suspects.
In addition to witness testimonies, surveillance footage from the park and the seaside establishment was instrumental in the investigators’ work. The investigation was led by Deputy Chief Mauro Sablone of the Pescara Police Headquarters’ Mobile team.
“The dramatic incident,” a statement from the Pescara Police Headquarters reads, “has highlighted a profound youth distress, a shocking lack of emotional empathy, and a clear inability to grasp the extreme negative value of their actions. These dysfunctional behaviours require thorough analysis, alongside the necessary reconstruction of the dynamics and responsibilities. The ongoing investigative activities, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Juvenile Court of L’Aquila, are directed towards this end.”
