Investigators initially considered the case of 64-year-old Domenico Montanari, found hanged on July 25, 2019 in the Antica Macelleria Bandini in Faenza, of which he was co-owner, to be a suicide. However, the investigation led to a review of the situation, transforming the death into a homicide in competition. Investigating Judge Janos Barlotti issued an order requiring the Prosecutor’s Office to present a formal charge within ten days for Gian Carlo Valgimigli, a 55-year-old former traffic policeman who discovered the body and alerted the authorities, and for Daniel Mullaliu, a 31-year-old Albanian, brother of Valgimigli’s partner.

Initially, the death was interpreted as the consequence of debt and usury, since Valgimigli had lent Montanari around 300 thousand euros with extremely high interest rates. However, the murder hypothesis gained credibility when a cellmate of Valgimigli, detained for mafia crimes, stated that the 55-year-old had confessed to him details of the alleged murder. The information provided to the Prosecutor’s Office by the prisoner starting from the end of 2022 raised questions about the dynamics of the event and the motive.

Disturbing details emerged at the crime scene: the cord used was nylon and the light was off; Montanari’s phone was charging, suggesting he had no intention of taking his own life. In addition, the keys were inserted into the lock from the inside and the body was positioned in an odd way. Montanari’s acquaintances described him as a cheerful and affectionate person, not inclined to commit such an extreme act, especially considering his responsibilities towards a disabled family member.

The Prosecutor’s Office hypothesized that the statements of the convicted criminal could have been the result of a strategy to obtain legal advantages or that Valgimigli had exaggerated to impress. However, the investigating judge considered the statements of the prisoner as reliable and coherent, accompanied by specific details not reported by the media. The context of the revelations and the analysis of the crime scene helped to confirm the suspicions of a possible criminal action behind Montanari’s death.