The body of a 25-year-old Albanian, who had been missing for two days after a failed robbery that ended in bloodshed, was found in the village of San Severino di Centola, near a sports field.
The villa owner, a 60-year-old local construction entrepreneur, presented himself to the Prosecutor’s Office of Vallo della Lucania with his lawyer and revealed the location of the body.
He is under investigation for murder and concealment of a corpse in Foria di Centola, in the province of Salerno, and has admitted to firing a weapon during the attempted robbery around 10 p.m. on Sunday. One of the bullets fatally struck the young Albanian, whose body was then transported by the villa owner to a remote area, hidden in vegetation, and wrapped in a sack.
Carabinieri from the Sapri Company and a magistrate intervened at the scene and ordered the body to be recovered and an autopsy to be conducted at the San Luca hospital in Vallo della Lucania. The results are expected to shed light on the incident.
Another member of the group was seriously injured and is hospitalized at “Cardarelli” hospital in Naples. The villa owner is also being investigated for causing serious injuries in this case, while a third suspected accomplice remains at large.
The investigation, coordinated by the Vallo della Lucania Prosecutor’s Office, aims to determine the exact dynamics of the shooting and clarify who fired first. A firearm was reportedly stolen during the robbery and is believed to have been used by one of the assailants in the exchange of fire.
The incident has shocked the local community and sparked high tensions, as family and friends of the victim — including his wife and their three-year-old daughter — gathered near the home where the shooting occurred.
According to local media, around 30 Albanian citizens from Caserta were seen in the area in what was described as a “punitive expedition,” but they dispersed after the arrival of the Carabinieri. The area remains under strict surveillance.
Victim’s mother-in-law appeals to authorities
Before the body was found, the victim’s mother-in-law spoke to the media, stating:
“We want our son’s body. He was killed and perhaps buried. They must return him to us. He was supposed to marry my daughter. They have a 3-year-old child. He had no criminal record. I don’t know how he got involved. The circumstances are still unclear.”
The young man’s partner also spoke, describing the moments after the shooting:
“Two days ago, I was told to go urgently to Vallo della Lucania because my husband had entered a house with two others. One escaped, one was wounded, and my husband had died. I searched all the hospitals, but nothing. Then we came here.”
According to her, the injured man in Naples told her:
“The villa owner shot my husband as they were running away, then shot me too. In the end, he dragged his body by the feet.”
She concluded:
“I don’t want revenge. I just want justice. If he was killed, we deserve to have his body so we can give him a proper funeral.”
The search for the 25-year-old concluded this Wednesday, having begun Monday morning under the coordination of the Carabinieri and Civil Protection. His phone was last traced near a wooded area, but no concrete leads were found.
Meanwhile, the villa owner remains under investigation for murder and serious bodily harm, and Foria di Centola remains tense as the full truth awaits to be uncovered.
