Altavilla Milicia family massacre: painter Giovanni Barreca murdered his family to "free them from the devil." He killed his wife, Antonella Salamone, 31, and his two sons, Kevin, 16, and Emanuel, 3.
The motive for the crime was religious obsession. Barreca was convinced that his family was possessed by the devil and for this reason he performed an exorcism of unprecedented violence.
The two children were strangled with a chain, while the wife was killed and her body charred in the garden of the house. The only survivor is the couple's 17-year-old daughter, who told the police what happened.
Barreca turned himself in to the police and confessed to the crime. Two of his friends, Sabrina Fina and Massimo Carandente, were also arrested and accused of participating in the murder.
The pair of friends, both religious fanatics, allegedly met Barreca during prayer meetings in an evangelical church. They allegedly fueled the man's mystical obsession and urged him to kill his family to "free the house from demonic presences."
The house painter's family was having financial difficulties
It was discovered that the family was experiencing serious financial difficulties and that the husband was mistreating his wife, originally from Novara. The house painter is accused of triple homicide and suppression of a corpse.
The couple of friends from Palermo were also arrested on charges of participating in the murder. The investigation is coordinated by the Termini Imerese prosecutor's office.
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