Tristan Jeong & Becky SongTristan Jeong and Becky Song

CASE BACKGROUND

• This unsolved case began in August 1968, when Barbara Locci was found murdered with her lover in a cemetery. The murders that occurred from 1968 to 1985 had a pattern; the unknown serial killer specifically targeted couples. The serial killer killed 16 people in total. All the murders occurred in the province of Florence, Italy, hence giving the killer the epithet of Monster of Florence. In 2008, Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, the authors of the The Monster of Florence, accused Antonio Vinci as the real killer; Antonio Vinci denied the accusation in a Dateline NBC interview.

MAJOR PLAYERS

• Chief Inspector Maurizio Cimmino, head of the Florentine police’s mobile squad.

• Chief Inspector Sandro Federico, police homicide detective.

• Stefano Mele, Pietro Pacciani, Mario Vanni and Giancarlo Lotti, four falsely accused, arrested and convicted suspects

• Barbara Locci, first victim; wife of Stefano Mele, murdered with her lover

• Antonio Vinci, accused as killer in 2008- denied the accusation

WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY

• Who- Unknown

• What- 16 murders; targeted couples specifically

• When- From 1968 to 1985

• Where- The province of Florence, Italy

• Why- Motive unknown

Florence, Italy

CRIME

• The serial killer killed 16 people, with the same pattern. The killer shot the couple to death in very quiet, solitary places such as country lanes or parks. After shooting the couples to death, the killer stabbed them and cut out the females’ pubic area. Ethnicities of victims were mostly Italian, but there were two German victims, Horst Wilhelm Meyer and Jens Uwe Rüsch. The killer made the victims feel weird sensation, thus terrifying the victims before the actual murders.

Stefania Pettini crime scene

Foggi crime scene

SUSPECTS

• There were many suspects

• The most important four:

• Stefano Mele-  immigrant from Sardinia, who confessed to murdering his wife and her lover on August 21, 1968

• Pietro Pacciani- Tuscan farmer who was convicted of being the Monster, acquitted on appeal, and then ordered to restand trial. He was the alleged leader of the so-called compagni di merende, the “picnicking friends.”

• Mario Vanni- nicknamed il Torsolo (Apple Core), the former postman of San Casciano, convicted of being Pacciani’s accomplice in the Monster killings.

• Giancarlo Lotti- aka Beta; falsely confessed having helped Pacciani with several of the Monster’s killings.

Stefano Mele Police Sketch of Monster of Florence

EVIDENCE TRAIL/ PROGRESSION

• All of the 16 murders had same pattern

• Shot to death

• Gun- .22 Berettas

• Stabbed

• Female’s pubic area cut out

.22 Beretta

TRIAL

• The four primary suspects, Stefano Mele, Pietro Pacciani, Giancarlo Lotti and Mario Vanni had to go through trial

• Pacciani’s trial- November 1st , 1994

• Lotti and Vanni’s trial (as accomplices of Pacciani)- May 21st , 1997

Pietro Pacciani on trialPietro Pacciani in court just prior to his release

VERDICT/ SENTENCE

• All declared guilty

• All four convicted

• Stefano Mele- 14 years

• Pietro Pacciani- Life sentence

• Mario Vanni- Life sentence

• Giancarlo Lotti- 26 years

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

• The real perpetrator is still unknown

• Many accusations and suspects, but they led the case to nowhere

• The motive of murders is still unknown

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• "Monster of Florence." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 03 Oct. 2013.

• Preston, Douglas. "Monster Of Florence: A True Story by Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi » Timeline." Monster Of Florence A True Story by Douglas Preston Mario Spezi RSS. Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2013.

• "The Monster of Florence." — The Mystery Begins — Crime Library on TruTV.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2013.