Italian authorities are investigating the killing of a 53-year-old woman after her 17-year-old nephew allegedly confessed to stabbing her and disposing of her body in a canal near Venice.
The crime took place on June 12 in San Stino di Livenza, a town near Venice in northern Italy. According to Italian media reports, the teenager admitted responsibility during questioning by prosecutors after initially denying involvement.
Investigators believe the motive may be linked to serious family tensions, including disputes over inheritance involving the victim and the suspect’s father. The woman and her nephew reportedly lived in the same residential building.
According to investigators, the teenager allegedly used a wheelbarrow to transport the victim’s body from the residence to the nearby Malgher Canal. Authorities say he covered the body with a large raincoat before disposing of it.
The suspect was found with a broken wrist and several minor injuries, which investigators believe may indicate a struggle between the two before the killing. He initially told police the injuries resulted from a fall.
Emergency services and specialized diving units from Venice have been searching the canal since the weekend, but the victim’s body had not yet been recovered as of Tuesday. Search operations, suspended overnight, resumed at first light.
The case has been transferred to the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office in Trieste, which is continuing the investigation.
The killing has shocked residents of the town of approximately 12,000 inhabitants, where authorities continue to gather evidence and reconstruct the events leading up to the alleged crime.