Monster of Modena

The Monster of Modena is an unidentified Italian serial killer who murdered at least eight prostitutes and drug addicts in the city of Modena from 1985 to 1995.

Murders Confirmed victims The first victim was 18-year-old Giovanna Marchetti, who moved from Mirandola to Medolla to live with her parents and older brother. She was last seen on 12 August 1985 by her boyfriend Giuseppe Volpe, who noted down the license plates of the vehicles in which Marchetti got into, as she prostituted herself to earn money to buy heroin. On 21 August, her body, already in advanced state of decomposition, was found near the Baggiovara furnace. A bloodstained stone used to bash her head in was found near the body. Volpe, investigated but ruled out after a short time, provided the license plate of the last car Marchetti had gotten into that evening: it turned out to be a Ford belonging to farmer Ennio Cantergiani, but since there was no evidence to charge him, he was let go. As in the Marchetti murder, the purse containing her personal belongings was not found, and it was also suspected that she was killed elsewhere due to the small amount of blood found at the scene. An autopsy determined that she had been sexually abused and then strangled with the scarf she was wearing that evening. Like the previous victims, her purse was never found. Like Santachiara before her, she had been strangled, but her body was dressed sans for her shoes and socks. On the previous evening, several witnesses saw her get into the man's car, with a witness claiming that the license plate read "PR", matching Tripi's car. The man allegedly claimed to be the killer and was suspected of involvement in the previous crimes, but was never identified. Abate had several bruises and wounds on her hands, and several fragments of human skin were found under fingernails. A used condom was found in the garbage and several traces of blood were found on the stairs, which turned out to belong to her roommate, Laura Bernardi. A witness later that on that morning, at around 4 AM, a car belonging to a carabiniere was in front of the woman's home long before the body was found. The investigation focused on two police officers who had contact with Abate, one of whom had a history of visiting prostitutes. Their DNA was compared to that found under Abate's fingernails, but the match proved to be negative.