Monday, March 01, 2010
The Sad Case Of Sonia Marra #6: The Sole Suspect Goes Missing For Several Days
Posted by Tiziano
We have posted several times previously on the case of Sonia Marra, a missing and possibly murdered Perugia student.
Her boyfriend Umberto Bindella (above after being found) is the sole suspect. On March 12th the Review Court will decide on the appeal by Prosecuting Magistrate Giuseppe Petrazzini against Umberto Bindella’s recent release from Capanne Prison, where he was being held while police investigations were advancing.
Terni In Rete reported a couple of days ago that Umberto Bindella had gone missing for several days and there was a fear that he might have caused himself harm .
BINDELLA FOUND. “THEY HAVE RUINED MY LIFE AND CONTINUE TO DO SO”
FEBRUARY 28TH 2010 18.08 HOURS
By Adriano Lorenzoni
Bindella has been seen in the woods near Deruta in the vicinity of the sanctuary of the Madonna of the Baths.
UPDATE: The Carabinieri from Deruta have found Umberto Bindella in the woods around Deruta, near the sanctuary of the Madonna of the Baths. According to the first reports it has been learnt that Bindella was found in a confused state. His vehicle was bogged down in a pool of mud. His parents and his lawyer, Daniela Paccoi rushed to the spot. Bindella himself exchanged a few words with journalists to whom he insisted that he had absolutely nothing to do with the disappearance of Sonia Marra.
“They have ruined my life and continue to do so. In reply to the reporters who asked him why he had run away from home, he replied, “I needed a break to think”. His mother as well repeated that her son was “a victim”.
Lawyer Daniela Paccoi asked for “respect on behalf of the media” for her client. “Umberto is confused, it’s been two days since he ate, he needs peace. Perhaps we will give a press conference, for now let’s leave him in peace.”
Umberto Bindella was found safe and sound. He was seen in the early afternoon by a group of trippers who were on a horse ride through the woods around Deruta. The Carabinieri who were alerted straight away went to the spot. First they found Bindella’s car, then they came upon Bindella himself, who was found in good physical conditions. According to first reports, Bindella is supposed to have told the officers that he had no intention of going home.
During the 48 hours when Bindella left no trace of himself, his parents feared that he could have done himself extreme harm. He had left papers on his desk in which he expressed his disappointment about justice, holding himself to be its victim….
And La Nazione has the story on what he claimed happened, and Bindella is now back in Perugia.
Perugia, the finding of Umberto Bindella
Luca Vagnetti
“I didn’t run away, I just needed to be alone and think a bit, away from everyone.” The mystery around the disappearance of Umberto Bindella finished in a little stretch of woods, between Deruta and Casalina.
Deruta, March 1st, 2010 ““ On Friday evening the traces of the 31year-old young man accused of the murder of the student Sonia Marra (missing since November 2006 when she was 25) were lost.
Yesterday the Carabinieri of the Deruta Branch found him not far from the sanctuary of the Madonna of the Baths, from where it seems that he had not budged in the period of time between his leaving home and his discovery. Upset and nervous to the point of attacking a photographer, but alive, hidden in a little wood on the edges of the highway in his Honda Jazz, which had ended up accidentally in a ditch.
Therefore the possibility of a tragic final gesture has been averted. “My family knows that I could never do such a thing,” Bindella said referring to the theory of a suicide which had actually circulated straight after he went away. The arrival of the forces of law and order, of his parents, of his sister and brother-in-law served to calm down the young man, who then vented his feelings into the microphones of the press.
“The system is disgusting” he said “and this event is ruining my life. I’m not afraid of the trial, I’m afraid of the system; in spite of everything I still trust in justice, I’m ready to defend my honour and to show my innocence.”
Wearing a dark red jumper, blue jeans and black shoes, Bindella let himself go and intensely showed his state of mind.
“They are depriving me of liberty, of dignity, of work and everything. This whole business is stopping me from living the years between 30 and 40; and once all the accusations against me collapse, nobody will be able to give me back what has been taken away from me. I am innocent, I reaffirm this, but the system thinks differently: I have clarified my position; I have given all the explanations, everything that I have been asked.”
“I don’t feel like a scapegoat, at the most a victim: the investigations are all going in one direction; they are trying every way to find me guilty, without examining other possibilities.”
Bindella speaks openly of the “obtuseness” of the magistrates, while his mother holds her hand on his shoulder and seems to almost hold up this big man who is almost a foot taller than she is.“I believe him ““ the woman declares, her eyes dense with emotion and understandable concern ““ because he is a good lad. He needed to think and probably he could have done so differently; he’s done something foolish, but this going away doesn’t mean anything in itself.”
The tow truck arrives to pull out Bindella’s car, a small crowd gathers on the edge of the road: the young man who wanted to reflect all alone thus finds himself once again with so many eyes directed at him.
Below: Deruta is about 20 minutes drive south of Perugia at the west edge of a forrested area.
Comments
A hard crime to pin on anyone with no body. But in the eyes of the police and the PM Umberto’s motive has been getting stronger and his alibi weaker.
Umberto seems to have sat in the car for two days without food or water. How did he put the car down that slope? Was he intending to just end it? It does sorta look that way.
Sonia’s family were said to be relieved when he was released several weeks ago from Capanne. They would rather hang onto hope forever than declare Sonia’s case closed as a murder.
Several hundred of Meredith’s sad friends and acquaintances probably feel the same way. Knowing that sweet girl was murdered seems crueler than many of them can bear.
A lifetime of sorrow, missing Meredith. And on top of that, the insidious rants from the Knox-Mellas tribe. For Meredith’s friends, they are the convicted perp’s family from hell.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/02/10 at 08:29 PM | #
Updated on 12 March. The judge overseeing the case has now delayed the decision on Umberto’s going back to prison to 7 May. The strain of having this uncertainty hang over him already led to the incident above.
Italian judicial processes follow some fascinating arcs. Generally they are intended to be to the advantage of the suspect or defendant but at times can look like a dagger hanging over their heads.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/12/10 at 04:01 PM | #
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Where next:
Click here to return to The Top Of The Front PageOr to next entry The Sad Case Of Sonia Marra #7: New Evidence Check And Decision Soon On Umberto Back In Custody
Or to previous entry The Sad Case Of Sonia Marra #5: Prosecuter Indicates Case Against Sonia’s Lover Is Strong