International arrest warrant - His uncle was listed under "asshole" on his cell phone - Melting furnace murderer wanted throughout Europe
On October 8, 2015, a Thursday evening at 19.18 pm, an unusual cloud rose from the chimney of the foundry Bozzoli in the Italian commune of Marcheno. This was likely the moment when inside a melting furnace, the body of the company's boss, Mario Bozzoli, was burned. A few minutes earlier, he had arranged with his wife for an evening meal. Since then, any trace of him has vanished. Even in the furnace, nothing was left – not surprising given the heavy workload and extreme temperatures.
The criminal case has been preoccupying Italy for nearly nine years, but particularly so in recent days. Since the beginning of the month, the man who has been sentenced to life imprisonment three times for the murder of Bozzoli and disposal in the furnace, his nephew Giacomo, has disappeared. When the supreme court, the Cassation Court in Rome, confirmed the sentence and ordered his arrest, the 39-year-old and his girlfriend and son were already in hiding.
Search in all of Europe
Now Giacomo Bozzoli is being sought in all of Europe with an international arrest warrant. A lead takes us over France to Spain. Others suspect, due to family ties, that the wealthy businessman's son may have fled to the Balkans. Some also consider Germany as a destination: The most recently similarly pursued flight of another Italian, who had murdered his ex-girlfriend in the north of the country, ended in Leipzig on the A9 motorway in November.
In custody, the convicted nephew had not served a single day. He never confessed. In the trial, he claimed to have loved his uncle. However, three courts came to the same conclusion that Giacomo Bozzoli was the murderer. He had held a "stubborn and unbreakable hatred" towards his uncle, according to the court records, because he believed the latter had embezzled money from the family behind their backs. In his phone, he had saved his uncle's number as "Asshole."
Italy: Despite conviction, never in custody
According to the investigation, the nephew transported the corpse of the victim into the furnace with the help of two workers immediately after the crime. One of the two was found dead six days later in a forest. He had swallowed a cyanide capsule – possibly a suicide. In his house, the investigators discovered 5000 Euro in cash, possibly a reward. Charges of accessory to murder are expected to be filed against the other worker soon.
Apart from the usual interest in such a manhunt, there is growing criticism of the authorities because Giacomo Bozzoli has been on the run the whole time and apparently no one thought about the possibility that he could evade a final sentence by going into hiding. An uncle, Andrea Rozzini, commented briefly on this: "He had nine years to prepare all of this." The authorities defend themselves by stating that the convicted man had always attended court hearings.
A trail leads to Marbella
A lead takes us to Marbella, Spain, where the Bozzoli family owns a villa. The Spanish police are on high alert, and the Italian authorities have requested assistance in the search for the fugitive. The villa, located in a secluded area, is being closely monitored. The whereabouts of Giacomo Bozzoli and his accomplices remain unknown, but the investigation continues.
The neighbors at Lake Garda reported that they had not seen Bozzoli, his girlfriend, and their eight-year-old son for over two weeks. The house was empty when the police arrived on July 1st. The investigators were left with little more than computers and laptops to seize. Then they discovered that the family's SUV, a Maserati, had been on its way to France since June 23rd. Later, news came from Spain that a couple with the corresponding documents had rented a property in Marbella until June 30th. However, this could also be a ruse.
Daniele Colossi, the father of Bozzoli's partner, is now appealing to him to give himself up. "This situation is tearing me apart," Colossi said on TV. "I hope that he does it for his sake, but above all for the sake of my daughter and my grandson, as soon as possible." According to investigative sources, it is speculated that Bozzoli might still want to celebrate his son's ninth birthday one last time in freedom and then surrender. The birthday is on July 8th, this Monday.
This assumption has now proven to be true: Bozzoli's girlfriend and son returned from France to Italy by train on Friday. The woman claimed in her first interrogation that she had suffered a shock due to her partner's final sentencing to life imprisonment and had lost her memory, as well as her phone. However, there is still no trace of Giacomo Bozzoli himself.
- Despite Giacomo Bozzoli's conviction for Mario Bozzoli's murder and disposal in Italy, the search for him has expanded to Europe, including potential hideouts in Spain and the Balkans, due to family ties.
- The investigation reveals that Giacomo transported his uncle's body into the furnace with the help of two workers immediately after the crime, leading to charges of accessory to murder against one of them.
- Criticism has been directed towards the Italian authorities for failing to apprehend Bozzoli despite the conviction and his subsequent disappearance, with his uncle, Andrea Rozzini, questioning the authorities' actions.
- The Bozzoli family own a villa in Marbella, Spain, where the Italian authorities have requested assistance in locating Giacomo and his accomplices. The villa is under close monitoring, and the family's SUV was reported to have traveled to France around June 23rd.
- Daniele Colossi, the father of Bozzoli's partner, has appealed to Giacomo to surrender, expressing concern for his wife and grandson, as Bozzoli's ninth birthday is soon approaching on July 8th.
- A lead in the case has proven true, as Bozzoli's girlfriend and son returned to Italy from France by train on Friday, with the woman claiming to have suffered a shock and lost her memory following her partner's sentencing to life imprisonment. However, Giacomo Bozzoli himself remains at large.
