Italian Man Investigated for Murder of Disabled Relative in Nursing Home

A 76-year-old man in Reggio Emilia, Italy, is facing serious charges of premeditated voluntary murder after investigators accused him of intentionally causing the suffocation of his disabled cousin. The victim, 74-year-old Alfredo Tamagnini, died on June 27 at a nursing facility when he choked on a cream pastry known as a bombolone. During his initial court appearance, the suspect, Elico Fantuzzi, stated, "I loved him like a brother," before declining to answer further questions from the judge.

According to prosecutors, Fantuzzi had served as his cousin's legal guardian for nearly twenty years and was also one of several co-heirs to an estimated estate valued at over 300,000 euros. Investigators assert that the financial inheritance served as the primary motive for the crime. The suspect allegedly placed the pastry in front of his relative, who suffered from dysphagia—a severe swallowing disorder—knowing full well that the victim was restricted to liquid or semi-liquid diets.

The incident took place at the I Tulipani nursing home located in Massenzatico. Authorities claim that Fantuzzi deliberately bypassed facility protocols, which require visitors to notify staff and present receipts for any external food brought onto the premises. Furthermore, prosecutors allege that the suspect purposely distracted staff members by showing them a razor he had brought for the victim, thereby ensuring that nobody would monitor Tamagnini while he attempted to eat the pastry.

Investigators revealed that wiretapped conversations captured Fantuzzi making incriminating remarks regarding the incident. In one intercepted call, he admitted, "My cousin died of suffocation, I gave him a pastry and he choked." Law enforcement officials also noted previous suspicious behavior, including an instance months earlier when a staff member reportedly stopped Fantuzzi from handing his relative a tray of sweets, as well as another occasion involving a box of meringue cookies. His wife was also recorded stating that he had a habit of bringing such pastries to deflect suspicion.

In a separate medical investigation in Rome, prosecutors have opened a manslaughter inquiry following the death of 39-year-old Sabrina Gigliotti. The mother of two passed away in late October after experiencing severe health complications that her family suspects stemmed from a brown recluse spider bite. Toxicology experts and hospital officials noted that while the Mediterranean recluse spider is common in Italy, fatal envenomations are extremely rare, prompting the public prosecutor to order an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Gigliotti's brother reported that the victim's condition deteriorated significantly in the weeks following a suspected insect puncture on her right thigh, eventually leading to severe joint pain, breathing difficulties, and septic shock. Medical staff at multiple hospitals attempted various treatments, but physicians ultimately determined that a severe infection had compromised her organs. The ongoing investigation aims to clarify the timeline of her medical decline and establish whether the spider bite contributed to her passing.