Double murder in Roman park: American main suspect fled to Greece

A 46-year-old American citizen was arrested on the Greek island of Skiathos as the main suspect in the case of the bodies of a young mother and her baby found in Rome's largest park.

According to the Rome prosecutor, there is strong evidence that the man murdered the girl, while the cause of death of her mother could not yet be determined.

The 46-year-old American left Rome airport two days ago for the island of Skiathos, where he was arrested by the Greek police, according to Tg 1 News. Italian media also report that the man has previously been prosecuted in the United States for criminal offences.

Detectives in Rome identified the main suspect after a witness who saw an argument between the man and a woman, who was later found dead, contacted them. The Italian police later identified the American on security cameras, and the footage shows him holding a baby whose body was later found by passers-by. The man's location was determined by tracking his phone.

According to the public prosecutor in Rome, Francesco Lo Voi, there are "strong indications that a man killed the girl who was found on Saturday not far from her mother in Villa Pamphili park."

The Italian police are currently investigating the connection between the suspect and the victims and are trying to find an answer as to what they were doing in Italy. Italian media report that the woman and the baby are also American citizens.

An autopsy revealed that the girl, aged between six and eight months, had been beaten and strangled and had not been fed for several days before her death, reports news agency Rai. The cause of death of her mother is still unclear. Toxicological tests have shown no drug use and there were no visible injuries on her body.

(FVDV - Source: 24UR/Rai/Tg 1 News - Illustration: ©Image by euroforum from Pixabay)