A mother and daughter who were killed by a poisoned Christmas dinner allegedly searched how to obtain ricin online before the tragedy.
The family ate alone on 23 December – before hosting guests for a separate meal the following evening.
Antonella Di Ielsi, 50, and 15-year-old Sara Di Vita both fell violently ill after the lunch.
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Within days, both had died – with doctors initially believing the cause was food poisoning.
Crucially, none of the guests at the Christmas Eve dinner fell ill, leading investigators to focus on the earlier lunch.
The couple’s eldest daughter Alice, 19, was not present at the meal on the 23rd and did not develop symptoms.
Antonella’s 55-year-old husband, Gianni Di Vita, a former mayor of Pietracatella, also became unwell with nausea, stomach cramps and vomiting.
Investigators seized a range of food items from the family home, including clams, mussels, cuttlefish, cod, flour and jars of mushrooms preserved in oil.
Toxicology tests later confirmed acute ricin intoxication in the victims’ blood, as reported by Need To Know.
Ricin, a highly toxic substance extracted from castor beans with no antidote, was allegedly ingested during the family meal.
Detectives launched a double-homicide investigation after finding no traces of the toxin in the supermarket ingredients used for the dinner.
Investigators are now focusing on digital evidence that allegedly showed Antonella and Sara carrying out internet searches on how to obtain ricin.
The authorities seized phones, tablets, computers, and modems from the family home, specifically targeting internet searches by Antonella and Sara and the messages they exchanged about their symptoms.
Investigators reportedly discovered explicit queries regarding lethal dosages, extraction methods, and untraceable dark-web marketplaces.
Forensic experts are also analysing family relationships, habits, and any notes or diaries related to undisclosed illnesses.
Over 100 witnesses have been interviewed, with interrogations concentrating on relatives amid emerging contradictions in statements.
The probe has shifted from possible medical negligence – initially leading to five doctors being investigated for manslaughter – to premeditated double murder.
Police are searching the family home for traces of ricin and awaiting full autopsy results expected later this month.
Two individuals, understood to be within the family circle, are under particular scrutiny, although no arrests have been made at this stage.
The case has shocked the small community of Pietracatella, Italy.
Ricin’s potency – even in tiny doses – and the possibility of it being produced from castor plants locally are also under examination.
A senior police official confirmed that local prosecutors have now upgraded the charges to premeditated murder aggravated by the use of insidious means.
Prosecutors continue to piece together the timeline, digital footprints, and motives in what has become one of Italy’s biggest poisoning mysteries.
The investigation continues.
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