Ricin case in Pietracatella: new interviews at the police station

Investigations continue into the double murder by ricin poisoning in Pietracatella, in the province of Campobasso. On the afternoon of October 5, 2026, investigators scheduled new interviews at the police station with relatives and friends of Monia's husband. Monia is a teacher who had previously been close to Gianni Di Vita. The aim is to narrow down the picture to identify the responsibilities of those who prepared, brought, and administered the deadly poison.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor of Larino, Elvira Antonelli, who is leading the investigation, has categorically denied the rumors circulating in recent days. No computer IP address from which searches on the preparation of powdered ricin traceable to the Pietracatella area were made has been identified. "No computer and no IP address related to online searches for ricin have been identified by investigators," she clarified.

The case began in December 2025, when Antonella Di Ielsi and her 15-year-old daughter Sara Di Vita died from poisoning by ricin, a potent natural toxin. The two women went to the emergency room of the Cardarelli Hospital in Campobasso on December 26, where they were initially diagnosed with gastroenteritis. Sara died that same evening, Antonella the following day. Only subsequent analyses by the poison control center in Pavia, completed after three months, confirmed the presence of ricin at levels 250 times above the lethal threshold.

The investigation has developed on multiple fronts. The Larino Prosecutor's Office has opened a case for double premeditated murder. Among those under investigation is the emergency room doctor who treated the victims, along with four other colleagues, for manslaughter. Simultaneously, the Campobasso mobile squad searched the home and professional offices of the husband and father of the deceased, seizing items including a bag and a novel. Investigators are analyzing online searches related to the word "ricin" conducted before the deaths, attempting to trace the IP addresses, after anonymous discussions on forums had previously emerged citing the need for information to write a novel.