Guilty of murder police officer near the hotel where they were staying in Rome in 2019 were sentenced to two American tourists and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Finegan Lee Elder, who was 19 at the time, had confessed to stabbing police officer Mario Churchillo Regga in the early hours of July 26, 2019, as his friend, Gabriel Christian Natale Hiorth, then 18, was talking to another police officer.
However, the two young men claimed that they were in self-defense as they believed that the two police officers, who were not in uniform at the time of the incident, were criminals who were sent to catch them after a failed attempt to buy drugs.
According to AMPE, the court rejected their claim and imposed the harshest sentence provided in Italy. According to the Italian penal code, convicts serving life sentences are entitled to apply for release after 21 years if they have a good record of conduct.
Defense attorneys said they would appeal the decision.
Mario Churchillo Regga, 35 he was unarmed and stabbed 11 times by Elder with an 18 cm knife he had brought with him from the USA. The murder of the police officer, who had just gotten married, shocked Italy and initially there was skepticism about whether the two young tourists would be punished.
The two Americans, originally from California, were also found guilty of attempted blackmail, assault, resistance to a government official and possession of an assault knife without justification.
The two were taken out of the courtroom shortly after the announcement of their sentence. Churchillo Regga’s wife, who was holding a photo of her dead husband, also appeared in court and burst into tears after the verdict was announced.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
