Journalist killed, murderer remains in prison: investigations into further contacts with illegal immigrants

Salerno – The murder of Luigi 'Luca' Esposito was premeditated: the investigating judge of the Court of Salerno, Giandomenico D'Agostino, has confirmed the arrest of Ridha Rahmouni, the 26-year-old Tunisian who confessed to the murder, and ordered a precautionary prison term.

The preliminary investigations judge charged him with voluntary homicide, aggravated by premeditation and cruelty, and with the destruction of the body.

The Tunisian man who killed the 53-year-old sports journalist in Eboli on the night of July 18th and 19th, and burned his body while he was still alive, reiterated his confession today, clarifying several details that had already emerged during his initial interrogation.

The investigating judge confirmed the accusatory framework that emerged from the investigations coordinated by the Salerno Prosecutor's Office and conducted by the Carabinieri.

The murderer, defended by lawyer Giovanni Mauri, spoke for about an hour this morning, clarifying several aspects that emerged during questioning by the public prosecutor, including those relating to the dynamics of the case.

The victim and the murderer had been seeing each other for about a year: the 26-year-old introduced the journalist to young fellow countrymen

The interrogation revealed some useful details for the investigation. First, the two had known each other for some time, a relationship that began about a year ago. The Tunisian reiterated that he had reacted to Esposito's "insistent" sexual advances toward him.

The relationship between the two, it emerged, was based on sexual encounters between the victim and some of the killer's compatriots. Rahmouni, according to investigations, had put Esposito in touch with young men he knew, perhaps also illegal immigrants in Italy.

Esposito's 'pressive' sexual advances were also rejected for religious reasons.

The relationship between Esposito and the Tunisian then evolved over time, so much so that the young man claims to have received insistent advances from the journalist, culminating on the very evening of his death when, for the umpteenth time, he refused to have sexual intercourse with him.

During today's interrogation, the young man reiterated that his Muslim religion prohibits same-sex relationships and relationships outside of marriage, and this was one of the reasons that exacerbated his violent reaction toward Esposito.

Investigations are underway into the network of contacts among illegal immigrants in the Eboli area of ​​the journalist

The murderer's version of events, his acquaintances, those who later became acquaintances of Esposito, are now being examined by the Carabinieri of the provincial command who are examining the statements given by the 26-year-old.

Based on the statements made today, the defendant's lawyer said, "further investigations will be conducted" that "could impact the current charge, which is provisional," he said, without providing further details. "There are technical aspects that needed to be clarified," Mauri explained, adding that further investigations will also be conducted "into aspects of the lives of the two people involved."