Italy arrests US man over mother and child deaths in Rome park
US
citizen on Friday in connection with the death of a woman and her baby daughter whose naked bodies were found in a park in
central Rome
.
The man, who was not named, was arrested on the Greek island of Skiathos, Rome's chief prosecutor, Francesco Lo Voi, told reporters at a news conference.
The case has grabbed headlines in Italy since the mother and her child, who was less than one year old, were found dead on Saturday in Villa Pamphili, Rome's largest central city park.
None of the people involved have been named, and prosecutors in the case told reporters they had still not been able to identify the mother or the child.
READ MORE
Italian newspapers have reported that the mother and child were also US citizens, but prosecutors did not confirm this.
Mr Lo Voi said the arrested man had declared he was the father of the child, and there was 'robust evidence' that he had killed her, while the cause of death of the mother was less clear.
The suspect flew to Skiathos from Rome on Wednesday, and his DNA would be examined to establish whether he was the father, the prosecutor said.
He was arrested based on evidence including witness accounts and surveillance camera footage, while the fact he had flown to Greece shortly after being seen with the victims 'in itself doesn't count in his favour,' Mr Lo Voi said.
Lead prosecutor Giuseppe Cascini said the man had been seen with the child in his arms after the presumed time of death of the mother.
The evidence against the suspect was particularly strong regarding the death of the child, Mr Cascini said, but the case was 'a probable dual murder'.
The prosecutors thanked the US
FBI
for its help in identifying the man, and the Greek authorities for their role in the arrest.
The man, woman and child were first seen together in Italy in April, and there was no record of any of them in the country before then, they said. —Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Man charged in connection with bid to kill senior PSNI detective to be released on bail
A man charged in connection with the dissident republican bid to kill a senior PSNI detective is to be released on bail, a High Court judge ruled today. Liam Robinson (45) is accused of involvement in moving a car used in the attempted murder of John Caldwell in Omagh, Co Tyrone . Prosecutors also claimed he helped recover another vehicle following an earlier failed effort to assassinate the policeman. Mr Caldwell was shot and seriously wounded in front of his son just after he finished coaching a youth football team at sports facilities in Omagh on February 22nd, 2023. READ MORE Two men wearing dark waterproof clothing opened fire on the off-duty officer, who has since retired from the PSNI on medical grounds, striking him several times. The would-be killers made their getaway in a Ford Fiesta, fitted with false number plates and later found burnt out, before switching to another car. Although the New IRA claimed responsibility for attempting to kill Mr Caldwell, detectives believe other criminal factions joined forces with the terror grouping to target someone regarded as a joint enemy. Robinson, of Ardstewart in Stewartstown, Co Tyrone, has been charged with preparation of terrorist acts and perverting the course of justice. In a circumstantial case, Crown counsel claimed he can be linked to two separate incidents where Mr Caldwell was targeted. The court heard that a previous attempt to kill the policeman three weeks before the shooting failed because he was not at the sports complex. An Audi A6 car believed to have been part of that unsuccessful operation was later moved by a recovery lorry from a location in Coalisland. Based on CCTV and telephone evidence, it was claimed that Robinson assisted in moving the vehicle. He also allegedly transported another suspect from Tyrone to Belfast to collect one of two Ford Fiestas which featured in the later attack on Mr Caldwell. Counsel claimed Robinson could then be linked to an area at an industrial estate where another 'operational vehicle' was set on fire following the shooting. A further part of the case relates to alleged 'walk and talk' meetings to discuss plans with other suspects, the court heard. Robinson denies any involvement in the events surrounding the murder plot. Defence lawyers have stressed he is not accused of taking part in the shooting of Mr Caldwell or being in Omagh at the time of the attack. With other co-accused already released from custody, Madam Justice McBride granted bail on strict conditions. She prohibited Robinson from contact with any other suspects and directed that a £5,000 cash surety must be lodged.
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Irish Times
Gardaí arrest teenager in connection with murder of man in Co Tipperary
Gardaí investigating the murder of Iarnród Éireann employee Ian Walsh in Co Tipperary have t arrested a teenager for questioning. The teenager was arrested by officers in the Ballyneale area of Carrick-on-Suir early on Wednesday. He was taken to Clonmel Garda station for questioning . He is being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows Gardai to hold suspects for up to 24 hours before they must be charged or released. The arrest comes as gardaí focused on Mr Walsh's social media activity and began examining if he had possibly met his killer on line and arranged to meet them at his home in at Ravenswood off Cregg Road in Carrick-on-Suir. READ MORE Garda believe the fact that there was no sign of forced entry at Mr Walsh's house suggests that Mr Walsh either knew his killer or felt no threat from them when he admitted them to his property. Mr Walsh, a 49- year-old single man who lived alone, was found dead at about 3.30am on Monday, August 4th by gardaí carrying out a welfare check at the two-story property. They had been contacted by Ms Walsh's family who were concerned for his welfare. A native of Waterford, Mr Walsh used to travel to Waterford city a couple of times a week to visit his mother, Breda Forristal at her home on Barrack Street. When he failed to visit over the Bank Holiday weekend, family members became concerned and contacted gardaí. His body was found in the downstairs bathroom of the semidetached house in Ravenswood. Mr Walsh had suffered multiple stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. State Pathologist Dr Yvonne McCartney carried out a postmortem examination on Mr Walsh's body at University Hospital Waterford on August 6th. It concluded that he had been the victim of a violent assault with a bladed weapon sometime over the Bank Holiday weekend. Garda technical experts spent several days carrying out a forensic examination of the house which investigators are hoping will yield DNA and other evidence which may prove crucial in their efforts to identify Mr Walsh's killer and build a case against them.
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Irish Times
Defence Forces lost stash of high-calibre ammunition for several months, official documents show
The Defence Forces was unable to locate a bag of high-calibre rounds, seized as part of an investigation into the alleged theft of military property by an Army officer, for several months, according to official documents. The apparent loss of the ammunition in 2022 sparked a major Garda investigation and a search operation in Co Kilkenny due to fears it may have fallen into criminal hands. The ammunition was located six months later in a secure area, close to where it had been originally stored. Despite this, the officer originally accused of misappropriating the ammunition was later sent forward for court martial on various charges. However, these charges were subsequently dropped by military prosecutors. The Defence Forces attributed the incident to an inadvertent error. Sources said the ammunition never left the secure storage area used to keep live rounds. The sequence of events is detailed in a series of official documents seen by The Irish Times and corroborated with military sources. The investigation into the officer began in 2021 when he was accused of a range of offences relating to improper possession of mostly historical military equipment, including rounds of .303 ammunition. This type of ammunition is no longer in use in the Defence Forces but has historical value and is still commonly used in civilian hunting rifles. The accusations against the officer related to equipment that was stored on military property and never left the base. During their investigation, military police enlisted the help of gardaí who searched the officer's home but found nothing. As part of their investigation, military police seized 129 rounds of .303 ammunition from Defence Forces stores as evidence. The rounds were divided into three bags. In December 2021, they were taken by a military transport to a secure storage facility in Stephens Barracks in Kilkenny. In February 2022, the evidence was moved to another secure storage area due to construction works. Later that month, a senior officer directed that the bullets should be transferred into steel boxes. Staff began to do this the following April while at the same time doing a routine check of the ammunition. At this point it was realised that one bag of ammunition was missing. Senior officers were alerted, as was the superintendent in Kilkenny Garda station, per standard procedure. The base was searched without success and a Garda detective sergeant was assigned to led a team to investigate 'the theft of ammunition' from the barracks, according to an official document. The Garda investigation looked into civilian construction workers who were on the base at the time as well as external security staff who were also on site. However, nothing suspicious was uncovered in relation to their presence. Investigators also examined the CCTV system at the base, which they were told had been damaged roughly around the time the missing ammunition was first noticed. One Defence Forces member told gardaí that in the weeks before the missing ammunition was first noticed, an issue was found with the system. According to an official report, clothes pegs had been inserted into the rear of the hard drive that records the CCTV footage in what an official said appeared to be an attempt to stop its cooling fans from working. In November 2022, the ammunition was located in a loosely tied sandbag. A staff member told investigators they believed they had inadvertently placed the ammunition in the sandbag during a routine inspection earlier in the year. In July of last year, days before his court martial was due to begin, the officer at the centre of the original investigation was informed the evidence had been missing for at least six months before being located. When the case began, the prosecution said it had difficultly in proceeding with the charges. Ultimately, the officer agreed to plead guilty to a single summary charge relating to the recording of historical equipment in military stores. The judge described it as a 'disciplinary matter' and fined the man three days pay. The officer was later promoted to a senior rank before retiring in good standing. A Defence Forces spokesman said it 'would be inappropriate for the Defence Forces to comment on the details of specific Military Police investigations'.
