The parents of a man, Claudio Carlomagno, who confessed to killing his wife in a femicide earlier this month were found dead at their home north of Rome on Saturday evening.
An investigation is under way into the deaths of Pasquale Carlomagno, 68, and Maria Messenio, 65, who were found hanged in their garden, according to Corriere della Sera. Authorities are treating the case as a suicide, but the Civitavecchia prosecutor’s office has ordered autopsies to determine the exact cause of death.
Their son, Claudio Carlomagno, 44, was jailed last week after confessing to killing his wife, Federica Torzullo, at their home in the lakeside town of Anguillara Sabazia. Torzullo, a 41-year-old postal worker, disappeared on 8 January. Her body was found 10 days later on land next to Carlomagno’s family-owned excavation business.
The couple, who had a 10-year-old son, were in the process of separating.
Clean-up after murder may have been assisted
Carlomagno was arrested on charges of femicide and concealing a corpse. During questioning, he said he killed his wife during an argument, citing fears of losing custody of their child. He is currently under close watch at Civitavecchia prison.
An autopsy revealed Torzullo suffered 23 stab wounds, mainly to the neck and face. Investigators also found burn marks on her face and one leg had been amputated in an apparent attempt to make the body unidentifiable.
Prosecutors must now establish whether the killing was premeditated. There are suspicions Carlomagno may have been assisted by an accomplice after the crime. His parents had been due to appear before investigators to clarify aspects of his confession, RAI News reported.
Despite the admission, several elements remain unclear, including the exact time of death and whether another person helped clean blood from the couple’s home.
Investigators are also trying to identify a person seen travelling with Carlomagno in his car the day after the murder. On the same day, his father was filmed outside his son’s house. He is not under investigation.
Carlomagno’s parents were well known in Anguillara Sabazia. His father owned a local excavation company, while his mother was a former police officer who resigned as the town’s security councillor last week.
Their bodies were discovered by Carlomagno’s aunt after repeated calls went unanswered. The couple reportedly left a note addressed to their other son.
