Between1995and1997,intheterritoriesofSouthernItaly,therewerefifteenmurdersofelderlywomen overtheageof70yearsold.Initially,however,notallthemurderswereattributedtoasingleserialkiller. Themajorityofthevictimswerestabbedmultipletimesintheneck, exceptforthreecasesinwhichthe causeofdeathwasmanualstrangulation. Therewasevidenceofsexualassaultinonlyoneofthecases. Allthevictimswerediscoveredintheirownapartments, whichwerelocatedonthegroundlevel, with nosignsof forcedentry. Inmost of thecases, theoffender stolemoneyand/or jewellery. Amulti- disciplinaryteamreviewedthecasesduringtheinvestigationandcreatedaprofileofthekiller.Theteam determinedthatthemethodofoperationwascompletelyunusualforthelocalcriminalelement. They suggestedthat the perpetrator couldbe animmigrant, who committedthe murders for sexual motivationandwhomayhavebeenarrestedpreviouslyforsex-relatedincidents. On15thSeptember 1997, asuspectwasarrested. HewasidentifiedasBenMohamedEzzedineSebai, a35-year-oldwhite male, originallyfromTunisia. Hewaschargedandconvictedoffourofthemurdersandwasgivenalife sentence.In2005,Sebaiconfessedtothemurdersoffouradditionalelderlywomen,forwhichnineother peoplehadalreadybeenpreviouslytriedandconvicted, amongthem, amanwhocommittedsuicidein jail. In2007, Sebai finallyconfessedtocommittingfifteenmurdersthat occurredbetween1995and 1997. Sebai alsoadmittedtoexperiencingsexual gratificationateveryhomicidescene, eventhough therewasnophysical proofatmostofthecrimescenes. Thegoalofthisarticleistoillustratealittle- knownbutnoteworthycaseconcerningaserialsexualkillerofelderlywomenthatoccurredinSouthern Italy, highlightingthemethodofoperation, thevictimselectionprocess, andtheinjuriesinflicted. The articlewillalsodiscusshismotivation, thementalhealthhistoryoftheoffender, hisclinicaldiagnosis, andhisself-reportedchildhoodabuse.
A serial killer of elderly women: analysis of a multi-victim homicide investigation
CARABELLESE, Felice Francesco;GRATTAGLIANO, IGNAZIO;CATANESI, Roberto
2009-01-01
Abstract
Between1995and1997,intheterritoriesofSouthernItaly,therewerefifteenmurdersofelderlywomen overtheageof70yearsold.Initially,however,notallthemurderswereattributedtoasingleserialkiller. Themajorityofthevictimswerestabbedmultipletimesintheneck, exceptforthreecasesinwhichthe causeofdeathwasmanualstrangulation. Therewasevidenceofsexualassaultinonlyoneofthecases. Allthevictimswerediscoveredintheirownapartments, whichwerelocatedonthegroundlevel, with nosignsof forcedentry. Inmost of thecases, theoffender stolemoneyand/or jewellery. Amulti- disciplinaryteamreviewedthecasesduringtheinvestigationandcreatedaprofileofthekiller.Theteam determinedthatthemethodofoperationwascompletelyunusualforthelocalcriminalelement. They suggestedthat the perpetrator couldbe animmigrant, who committedthe murders for sexual motivationandwhomayhavebeenarrestedpreviouslyforsex-relatedincidents. On15thSeptember 1997, asuspectwasarrested. HewasidentifiedasBenMohamedEzzedineSebai, a35-year-oldwhite male, originallyfromTunisia. Hewaschargedandconvictedoffourofthemurdersandwasgivenalife sentence.In2005,Sebaiconfessedtothemurdersoffouradditionalelderlywomen,forwhichnineother peoplehadalreadybeenpreviouslytriedandconvicted, amongthem, amanwhocommittedsuicidein jail. In2007, Sebai finallyconfessedtocommittingfifteenmurdersthat occurredbetween1995and 1997. Sebai alsoadmittedtoexperiencingsexual gratificationateveryhomicidescene, eventhough therewasnophysical proofatmostofthecrimescenes. Thegoalofthisarticleistoillustratealittle- knownbutnoteworthycaseconcerningaserialsexualkillerofelderlywomenthatoccurredinSouthern Italy, highlightingthemethodofoperation, thevictimselectionprocess, andtheinjuriesinflicted. The articlewillalsodiscusshismotivation, thementalhealthhistoryoftheoffender, hisclinicaldiagnosis, andhisself-reportedchildhoodabuse.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
