Italian investigators are due in Berlin next Thursday for irrepeatable forensic examinations of five exhibits seized in the Pietracatella deaths investigation, including a water bottle found beside Sara Di Vita’s bed.
La Repubblica reports that specialists at the Robert Koch Institute requested the attendance of Italian police and representatives of the parties before laboratory work begins. The institute cited the risk that testing could damage or remove traces with forensic value.
The Larino prosecutor’s office has asked forensic police to collect latent fingerprints and biological traces during the Berlin operation. La Repubblica says the work will be video-recorded and the resulting reports filed within five days.
The bottle is one of the five exhibits selected for examination. Investigators are examining whether it retains traces relevant to the ricin hypothesis, as well as recoverable fingerprints or biological material. No laboratory result reported so far places ricin in the bottle or in any of the other exhibits.
That makes the Berlin trip a specific escalation in evidence handling, rather than a resolution of the case. The purpose is to preserve fragile material while subjecting it to a controlled, one-time procedure. It does not identify a person responsible for the deaths of Antonella Di Ielsi and Sara Di Vita, nor does it establish how any possible exposure occurred.
The next material development will be the outcome of the examinations and any findings on the five exhibits.
Sources
- la Repubblica · Source date: 2026-11-14
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-14