Pietracatella ricin poisoning kills mother and daughter

Forensic pathologist Benedetta Pia De Luca filed a nearly 900‑page autopsy report confirming that Antonella Di Ielsi and her daughter Sara Di Vita died from ricin intoxication, most likely after ingesting the toxin on 23‑24 December. The report was submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office in Larino and identified the deaths as a double homicide, though the method of administration remains undetermined.

Italian police, aided by the Mobile Squad of Campobasso and scientific investigators, have seized around 70 food items and other household samples from the victims’ home in Pietracatella and are examining the lake shore for ricin plants. Experts from the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, including Christian Herzog and Sylvia Worbs, are conducting toxicological, chemical and immunological analyses on the collected evidence. The case is described as unique in Italy, with no comparable incidents to date, and investigators continue to interview family, friends and other contacts while searching for a possible fourth suspect.

The investigation remains open, with no arrests made and the identities of any potential perpetrators still unknown.