Salvatore Ocone found fit to stand trial for Paupisi family massacre

A psychiatric evaluation filed with the Benevento court has determined that Salvatore Ocone is capable of understanding and will, meaning he is fit to stand trial for the Paupisi family massacre. The 59-year-old is accused of killing his wife, Elisa, and his 15-year-old son, Cosimo, with stones on September 30. His teenage daughter, Antonia, survived the attack despite being left in critical condition.

The evaluation, conducted by psychiatrist Vincenzo Scarallo, noted that while Ocone experienced delusions, hallucinations, and an altered sense of reality—claiming he killed his wife because he believed she was ‘possessed by the demon’—his primary functional parameters remained intact.

The findings could lead to a life sentence. The psychiatrist is scheduled to testify in an upcoming hearing, with final arguments and a verdict expected on September 30, marking one year since the killings.