A convicted murderer who fled custody after stabbing a colleague has died after falling from the roof of Milan’s famous Duomo cathedral, Italian authorities have confirmed.
Emanuele De Maria, who was serving a 15-year sentence for the 2016 murder of 23-year-old Oumaima Racheb in Caserta, had been granted permission to work as a hotel receptionist in Milan as part of a prison release scheme. But he vanished on Saturday after allegedly attacking a co-worker.
According to Italian news agency ANSA, De Maria stabbed Hani Fouad Abdelghaffar Nasr, a 50-year-old Italian-Egyptian, outside the Hotel Berna, where they were both employed. Nasr remains in the hospital following surgery to his neck and chest.
De Maria was identified as the man who died after falling from the Milan Cathedral by his tattoos. Witnesses said the fall appeared to be a “voluntary act,” and he was pronounced dead at the scene around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday.
De Maria, who had previously been arrested in Germany in 2018 after fleeing to the Netherlands, was considered to have shown no recent behavioural concerns and had been allowed to work under strict conditions, including adhering to a designated route.
Police are also investigating the death of another colleague, Arachchilage Dona Chamila Wijesuriyauna, a barmaid whose body was found in a lake.
She had gone missing two days earlier after last being seen with De Maria on Friday. CCTV footage later captured him returning alone.
Authorities suspect De Maria’s involvement in her death, and an autopsy is expected to be carried out to determine the cause.
The back-to-back incidents have triggered public scrutiny over Italy’s prison semi-release policies. Critics have questioned how a convicted murderer with a history of fleeing could be placed in a position with such limited supervision.
Milan police are continuing investigations into both the stabbing and the death of Wijesiriyauna, while the circumstances surrounding De Maria’s fall are being treated as suicide, pending further inquiry.
The tragedy at one of Italy’s most iconic landmarks has sparked concern and disbelief among locals and tourists alike, with some witnesses visibly shaken after witnessing the fatal fall.
Authorities have cordoned off the area around the Duomo, and security procedures at public institutions may now come under review.
