Drugs and betrayal behind the crime of passion in Aversa

Aversa. A 34-year-old man, Paolo Scarano, (an army corporal serving in Rome) was arrested by police on charges of stabbing another man, Paolo Menditto, 55, to death.

The crime took place in the victim's home, in a working-class neighborhood of Aversa, in the province of Caserta.

According to the investigators' reconstruction, Scarano was driven to commit the act by jealousy for his partner, who had occasional relationships with Menditto in exchange for doses of drugs.

The body was discovered last Thursday, when firefighters were called to the victim's home, where he had been missing for two days. They found the man lying on the living room floor, lifeless, with numerous injuries all over his body.

The investigation led to the identification of Scarano, who was tracked down at the Aversa train station as he was about to leave for abroad.

The details of the crime

According to the investigators' reconstruction, Scarano and his partner had met in a drug rehabilitation center. The two had begun a relationship, but Scarano was jealous of the occasional relationships his partner had with Menditto.

Last Thursday, Scarano decided to confront Menditto and ask him to stop seeing his partner. The two men met at the victim's home, where an argument escalated into a fight. Scarano grabbed a knife and stabbed Menditto repeatedly, causing his death.

The motive

The motive for the crime was jealousy. Scarano could not stand that his partner had relations with another man, even if in exchange for drugs. The anger for this situation led him to commit a terrible act.

Scarano was taken to prison, where he is awaiting trial. He is charged with aggravated murder based on trivial motives and premeditation. If convicted, he faces life in prison.