Willy Monteiro Duarte: the reconstruction of the murder and the trials of the Bianchi brothers

Last stop, the Cassation, for the murder trial of Willy Monteiro Duarte. The Supreme Court rules on the conspiracy murder charge against the brothers Gabriele and Marco Bianchi, both of whom are seeking a further reduction in sentence, Mario Pincarelli and Francesco Belleggia. This is the reconstruction of what happened on the night between 5 and 6 September 2020 and the trials against the Bianchi brothers and those who were with them that night in Colleferro.

What happened that night

Groups from the area between the provinces of Rome and Frosinone meet in Colleferro. There are several venues. The night of tragedy begins in one of these. At the Due di Picche around 11.30pm there are the brothers Marco and Gabriele Bianchi, known in the area for fights and beatings, and Mario Pincarelli and Francesco Belleggia, arrived separately. At another table there is a group from Paliano, Willy Monteiro's town, with Federico Zurma and some girls. These are targeted, their chairs are moved in a bad way to enter the bathroom. The Whites leave while Pincarelli remains and an annoying girl from the group.

At 1.30am Federico Zurma and Alessandro Rosati get the girls to tell them who bothered them. They confront them, insults and threats fly. Belleggia punches Zurma who falls. At this moment the Bianchi brothers arrive who had gone away with two girls. They get into a fight. Now on the square there is also Willy Monteiro, born in Paliano to parents originally from Cape Verde. He works in a restaurant as a waiter and wants to become a chef. He is coming home after work. He tries to get his friend Zurma away, but gets involved in the fight, targeted, without having done anything, by Artena's two brothers.

Witnesses say that Gabriele kicked him in the chest with the sole of his foot. Willy is on the ground, he can't get up. Marco Bianchi hits him with kicks and punches. Only his friend Samuele Cenciarelli remains with him. There are witnesses who say that the attackers, including Pincarelli and Belleggia, attacked the body on the ground. It's 3:23 in the morning. In less than a minute, Willy received many blows that caused irreversible damage to his internal organs: a crack in the heart and a karate blow to the jugular.

THE Carabinieri they are attracted by the great noise, but when the Bianchi brothers arrive with Tondinelli, Belleggia and Pincarelli they have already left. I'm in the room of the other brother, Alessandro. They block them immediately. The witnesses gave their names and described them.

Investigations and first trial

The four accuse each other. The version believed is that of Belleggia, the only one to admit what he did. He is under house arrest, the others in prison. They are all accused of voluntary homicide. According to prosecutors, they knew their shots could be fatal. The trial begins on 10 June 2021. The Municipalities of Colleferro, Paliano and Artena are civil parties. The testimonies of 26 boys and girls present that evening are heard. The request is for life imprisonment for the brothers Marco and Gabriele Bianchi, 24 years each for Mario Pincarelli and Francesco Belleggia.

For Marco and Gabriele Bianchi there was a life sentence for the murder of Willy Monteiro. 23 years for Francesco Belleggia, 21 for Mario Pincarelli. This was decided by the judges of the Assize Court of Frosinone, almost fully respecting the prosecution's requests. All were charged with voluntary manslaughter. Willy's father talked about one “just sentence”. There was applause in the chamber as the device was read.

Appeal process

On 12 July 2023, no longer a life sentence, but 24 years in prison for the Bianchi brothers. There first degree conviction for the murder of Willy Monteiro Duarte it is reduced from life imprisonment to 24 years on appeal. Confirmed 23 years for Francesco Belleggia and 21 for Mario Pincarelli. Willy Monteiro Duarte was killed in September 2020 in Colleferro.

According to what the reasons for the sentence say, the Court of Appeal decided to grant general mitigating circumstances to the brothers Marco and Gabriele Bianchi because they were unrelated to the initial quarrel and have no blame to share with the other defendants in the beating of Willy Monteiro Duarte. And then there is the question of time: the beating lasted “only” 40 seconds. «It cannot be ignored that the White brothers are completely unrelated to the initial conflict which then provoked the violent attack, that the defendants' conduct ended in a short period of time and that the beating was also attributable to the other defendants”. For the other defendants, the sentences imposed at first instance were confirmed: 23 years to Francesco Belleggia and 21 to Mario Pincarelli. All four would have run and accepted the risk of being able to kill the 21-year-old from Paliano in Colleferro with their shots. Hence the charge of voluntary manslaughter due to possible malice

Compared to the Court of Frosinone, the Court of Appeal gives less weight to the fact that the final beating is triggered by the arrival of the Whites. However, the reconstruction of the facts was confirmed according to which the attack began with the violent kick launched by Gabriele Bianchi to Willy's chest followed by a punch again launched by Bianchi on the boy who was trying to get up.