“Seen on the same street”, a turning point in the investigation? –

A packed church in Bottanuco for the funeral of Sharon Verzeni, the 33-year-old killed in Terno d’Isola, in the province of Bergamo. The woman was stabbed four times while walking alone on Via Castegnate, less than a kilometer from her home, and died immediately after calling for help. The attack occurred on the night between Monday and Tuesday shortly before 1:00 a.m. and the Bergamo area is still hunting for the woman’s killer. The Carabinieri repeatedly interviewed her partner, Sergio Ruocco, who was at home that evening, and also family members, friends and colleagues of the former beautician. The images from the video surveillance cameras in the area and the telephone cells are being examined, while in the search for the killer’s DNA, the evidence collected at the crime scene and on Sharon’s body during the autopsy has been sent to the RIS in Parma. The murder still has no suspects: in addition to the perpetrator, the motive remains unknown at the moment, while the search for the murder weapon continues.

But in the last few hours, investigators among the various hypotheses, are reportedly pursuing a lead opened by a tip from the Carabinieri. Il Giorno reports that they are verifying the position of a “man of foreign origins, a criminal and resident in Capriate San Gervasio”, a town near Bergamo and not far from the crime scene. The man was reportedly seen a few hours after the crime in the very street where the victim’s lifeless body was found. There are no cameras at that point, but – the newspaper writes – investigators are checking whether other cameras in the area have captured the man.

“Today we gather in this church because what happened in recent days is a tragedy. And there are no better fairy tales to sweeten the pill,” said Don Corrado Capitanio in his homily, during the mass in the church of San Vittore Martire concelebrated together with the parish priest of Terno d’Isola, Don Angelo Giudici. “Once again the hand of Cain has struck, once again evil has won because it has shattered a young life, abruptly interrupted projects, dreams, desires for family life,” added Don Corrado, who then urged: “Let us pray for those who in these days are working to find the truth. This is a desire that we all hope for. And then let us also pray for the conversion of those who have lent their hand to evil. So that these tragedies never happen again, so that conversion can also become redemption and so that no one ever has to live an experience like this again.”

As they left the church, her partner Sergio, her father Bruno, her sister Melody and her brother Christopher gathered in front of Sharon’s white coffin covered in red flowers. Then the funeral procession headed towards the cemetery, with about two thousand participants, including mayors of the two towns in the Bergamo area in mourning. Also present at the final farewell was Laura Letizia Bossetti, the twin sister of Massimo, the worker from Mapello sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Yara Gambirasio in Brembate. At the end of the funeral, the only one to speak to reporters was Sergio Ruocco’s father, Mario. Sergio and Sharon “were already married in the town hall, they lived together and I asked them ‘when are you going to let me become a grandfather?’. Lately I think they were thinking about it, but that’s how it went,” the man said, his voice breaking with emotion.