Franco Fuschi

Franco Fuschi (1945 – 25 April 2009) was an Italian serial killer, former soldier and self-proclaimed contract killer. He confessed to and was later convicted of eleven robbery-motivated killings in the Province of Turin from 1977 to 1994, and additionally claimed responsibility for other politically motivated killings in Italy and abroad, most of which remain uncorroborated.

For his confirmed crimes, Fuschi was sentenced to life imprisonment, which he served until his death in 2009.

Early life Born in Padua in 1945, Fuschi enlisted in the Italian Navy as a young man, and went on to serve in its special operations unit, the CONSUBIN, for nineteen years. At the end of his service, he moved to the Susa Valley in 1972, where he married Emilia Artesiano from Piedmont. In order to make a living, he worked as a farmer and did small jobs as an electrician in Mattie.

Murders Initial murders Fuschi's first confirmed murder occurred on 10 November 1977 – while he was observing a house in Piossasco that he intended to rob, he was accidentally spotted by the occupants, who immediately started screaming. In an attempt to scare them off, he fired a bullet at the house, but it ricocheted and hit the homeowner's sister, 37-year-old Maria Rosa Carpinello, who died on the spot. The man grabbed a pitchfork and attempted to confront the pair when they passed by his yard, but Giacominetto was shot in the chest by Fuschi, with the hit proving to be fatal. Insistent on checking out what's wrong, Lea went out on the porch to see what was going on, whereupon he was shot three times in the chest. His alarmed wife got a gun and returned fire at the assailant, but the mysterious figure ran away. Lea was then driven to a hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries.

On the evening of 12 June 1985, Fuschi stabbed to death 32-year-old Ivo Asteggiano, a native of Mondovì who lived in Chieri. A teacher at a middle school in Santena, Asteggiano was stabbed three times as he exited his home: his last words, addressed to his girlfriend who had come to open the door, were "they beat me up". An attempted robbery gone wrong was initially ruled out, since nothing had been stolen from Asteggiano's wallet. After exchanging insults, he challenged the man to fight it out on the dirt road, which Mantovani accepted. However, when he approached, Fuschi grabbed his gun and shot him in the chest, before proceeding to shoot him in the head. Osella immediately notified his neighbor, 46-year-old craftsman Gabriele Racca, and the two men went to confront the thief.

1990s Fuschi's latter murders became distinguished due to their apparent randomness and utter senselessness, with the first such act being the 24 November 1990 murder of 27-year-old Giorgio Sedita in Rivalta di Torino. On that night, Sedita was working at his father-in-law's factory, where he lived with his wife, Antonella. On 18 March 1991, while testing the silencer on his .22-caliber pistol, Fuschi alerted some dogs belonging to Bertini, who went to the balcony to check out what was going on. He attempted to run away, but the younger Francese caught up to him and started fighting with him. In the middle of the brawl, Fuschi managed to take out his gun and shoot the young man in the heart, killing him instantly. The body was later found by a prostitute who serviced clients in the area. In regards to his supposed exploits in Italy, he claimed to be the assassin of banker Roberto Calvi; to have participated in the Piazza Fontana bombing and to have carried explosives used in the and the Italicus Express bombing. He also claimed to be responsible for several bombings committed along the Turin-Lyon line. The bullet passed through his head from side to side, but did not kill him, and Fuschi miraculously survived.

Trial, imprisonment and death Fuschi's trial began in November 1998. All journalists and investigators involved in the case received intimidating letters and death threats, in which they were threatened to end up like the victims. The judges disregarded Fuschi's elaborate claims about participating in the various terrorist bombings, and instead charged him with slandering both himself and the secret services. In 1999, Fuschi was convicted of eleven murders and sentenced to two life terms, as well as an additional eight years imprisonment for the slander charges. The sentence was upheld on appeal in January 2000.

During his incarceration, Fuschi studied gardening, and enjoyed reading books from Leonardo Sciascia, as well as some unnamed writers from South America.

On the night of 24-25 April 2009, Fuschi was found dead at the San Michele Prison in Alessandria. Given his multiple health problems, including a severe form of epilepsy and the recent removal of a stomach tumor, it was suggested that his death was the result of a heart attack. Another possible hypothesis suggested that he committed suicide. Curiously, days prior to his death, Fuschi had asked to be transferred to another prison, but did not have time to explain the reasons why to his lawyer Savino Bracco. To date, the exact cause of death has not been ascertained.

List of victims