Murder of Mario Cerciello Rega
The murder of Mario Cerciello Rega, a police officer in Italy, occurred on July 26, 2019, in Rome.[1]
| Murder of Mario Cerciello Rega | |
|---|---|
| Location | Rome, Italy |
| Date | July 26, 2019 |
| Weapons | Combat knife |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Victims | Mario Cerciello Rega |
| Perpetrators | Finnegan Lee Elder Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth |
| Verdict | Life imprisonment |
Deputy Brigadier Rega, age 35, was a member of the Carabinieri, Italy's national military police force.[1][2] He was stabbed to death as he investigated a drug deal gone wrong.[2]
In May 2021, two American students from California were found guilty of the murder. Finnegan Lee Elder, age 19 at the time of the crime, and Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth, age 18, were both sentenced to life in prison.[2]
Victims
- Mario Cerciello Rega, age 35, Carabinieri Vice Brigadier, was killed.
- Carabinieri Officer Andrea Varriale, Rega's police partner, was injured.
Perpetrators
Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth became friends while attending Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California.[3] Elder had previously attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco, California, but was asked to leave after an altercation with another student.[4][5]
Murder
It is the night of May the 25th. Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Natale Hjorth go to the Trastevere district to buy some cocaine. Only Natale-Hjorth could speak Italian. When they realize that the pusher had sold them crushed aspirine, they steal a backpack from Brugiatelli, the guy who had led them to the pusher. Brugiatelli borrows a phone and calls his own number. The two young men answer, telling him that if he wants his backpack back, he has to bring them 100 euros and a gram of cocaine. Brugiatelli calls the Carabinieri, telling them he needs that backpack back, because he has all his documents in there. The Carabinieri send two officers, who go unarmed to meet the two American young men, while Brugiatelli wait for them nearby. At the appointment place, Finnegan Lee elder stabs Carabiniere Cerciello Rega 11 times. After that, the two Americans immediately go back to their hotel, which was one block away.
See also
References
- "Mario Cerciello Rega: Huge manhunt for killers of Italian policeman". BBC News. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "Mario Cerciello Rega: US students found guilty of killing Italian policeman". BBC News. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- Former Marin students convicted in Italian police slaying
- Finnegan Lee Elder: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
- 32 Seconds: A Deadly Night in Rome
Sources
- D'Emilio, Frances (4 May 2021). "US men await their fate as murder trial nears end in Rome". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "Two American friends jailed for life after killing Italian police officer while teenagers". Sky News. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- Povoledo, Elisabetta (5 May 2021). "2 Americans Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Italian Police Officer". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- Harlan, Chico (6 May 2021). "Italian jury convicts 2 Americans of murder, with a punishment of life in prison, in 2019 killing of police officer". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "Mario Cerciello Rega: US students found guilty of killing Italian policeman". BBC News. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "Finnegan Elder, American Teen Accused Of Killing Italian Police Officer, Has Violent Past". YourTango. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "Bay Area man says he stabbed Italian cop in self-defense". The Mercury News. Associated Press. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- Povoledo, Elisabetta (21 July 2020). "Officer Details Killing of Police Partner in Trial of Americans in Rome". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 May 2021.