Foggia, June 21, (Pas/Adnkronos/GNA) – The alleged killer of Giacomo Mongiello, 45, was mortally wounded in Via Sbano in Foggia on the evening of August 2, 2024.
During the next escape, however, he lost his hat. The garment, recovered by the investigators of the Mobile Squad proved to be fundamental for the detection of the alleged perpetrator of the murder, thanks to the comparison with his DNA.
This morning, the State Police of Foggia, at the disposition of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, executed an order of pre-trial detention in prison issued by the gip of the Court of the capital dauno against a 43-year-old man, considered suspected of the murder crime, aggravated by premeditation, as well as of illegal detention and port of common weapon from gunfire in public place and of dangerous ignitions and explosions.
The bloodshed had remained without an apparent explanation, and had shaken the local community. Mongiello was hit while walking along the streets near the center of Foggia.
According to what was reconstructed, he was reached behind by a man wearing black clothes, a baseball cap with a visor and a mask and traveled riding a dark pedal-assisted bike. After holding a rifle, at least two shots exploded towards Mongiello, and then the suspect escaped with the bike.
The victim was rescued and transported to the hospital where he died after two days. The killer’s escape was observed by witnesses and documented by images of video surveillance cameras, both public and private, acquired by investigators of the Mobile Squad. In that video, the police noticed that the alleged killer had lost the hat, which was found, seized and subjected to technical analysis from which emerged the presence of residues of gunpowder and genetic traces.
The investigators, together with the Prosecutor’s Office, reconstructed the context in which the crime occurred, outlining the possible motive and the links between the victim and the recipient of the precautionary measure. The latter was also referred to as the perpetrator of the crime in an anonymous call that came to the emergency number 112 a few days after the murder.
In the statements made by the 43-year-old to the judicial police, many contradictions emerged. The same refused to spontaneously provide the investigators with their own biological sample which, however, at the disposition of the judicial authority, was taken to him forcibly proving decisive. In fact, the feedback obtained from the comparison with the traces found on the hat lost by the perpetrator of the crime during the escape was positive.
The investigations also highlighted how the alleged killer had carefully planned every phase of the crime, adopting measures to evade the investigation, including the use of a bike with pedal-assisted to better bypass city traffic, and to be able to travel at sustained speed also pedestrian roads, in addition to the subsequent destruction of the same, a few meters from his home, to avoid possible investigative activities on the means of transport.
The other difficulties to solve the case have been overcome thanks to the evidence. The judicial authority and the State Police had to compare dozens of DNA samples, enhance residues of gunshot particles on numerous finds, listen to more than 60 people informed about the facts, examine 218 city cameras, monitor two areas of the city by installing additional cameras, analyze numerous call flows in the various affected docking cells, use various interceptions, carry out numerous personal, home and computer searches.
GNA