A convicted murderer who had gone on the run after a stabbing incident in Milan has died after falling from the city’s iconic cathedral, the Duomo di Milano.
The man, identified as 35-year-old Emanuele De Maria, was serving a 15-year prison sentence for the 2016 murder of 23-year-old Oumaima Racheb in Caserta, southern Italy. According to reports from ANSA and Milano Today, De Maria had been granted work release privileges and was employed as a receptionist at Hotel Berna, near Milan’s central station.
On Saturday morning, De Maria allegedly stabbed a colleague, identified as Hani Fouad Abdelghaffar Nasr, outside the hotel on Via Napo Torriani. Nasr, a 50-year-old Italian-Egyptian man, underwent surgery for neck and chest wounds and is reported to be in recovery.
De Maria fled the scene and disappeared, sparking a police search. He was identified as the man who fell from the Duomo shortly before 2pm on Sunday, after witnesses described what appeared to be a “voluntary act.” His body was identified by tattoos on both arms.
De Maria had previously been arrested in Germany in 2018 after spending time on the run in the Netherlands. Despite bewing a convicted murderer, he had been permitted to work outside prison under strict conditions. This included following an approved route between the prison and the hotel. No recent behavioural concerns had been flagged prior to the incident.
Police are now also investigating the death of another hotel employee, Arachchilage Dona Chamila Wijesuriyauna, whose body was found in a lake earlier today. The barmaid had been reported missing two days ago and was last seen meeting De Maria on Friday evening. CCTV footage later showed him returning alone.
