A 35-year-old Albanian man has been identified as the victim of a serious murder in San Giorgio delle Pertiche, in the province of Padua, Italy. The body was found inside a Fiat Bravo vehicle, which had been submerged in the waters of the Tergola River.
According to Italian media, the victim has been identified as Ferdinant Hoti, 35 years old, an Albanian citizen residing in Mirano. The identification was made by the Carabinieri of the Padova Investigation Unit through fingerprints and other elements collected during the investigation.
Initial forensic data indicate that the Albanian was killed with a firearm. At the time of the murder, the 35-year-old is suspected to have had his hands tied, while he was shot at from close range.
The examination of the body also revealed that Hoti had died before his body ended up in the water. No traces of water were found in the victim's lungs, which excludes the possibility that he was still alive when he was thrown into the river.
The Carabinieri are now trying to reconstruct the 35-year-old's movements and discover the people he met with during the evening of Monday, September 7, with the aim of identifying the perpetrator or perpetrators and shedding light on the motive for the crime.
The Albanian's body was found in the back seat of a black Fiat Bravo, stuffed in a black bag. To weigh it down and prevent it from floating to the surface, tires were placed on the body. The car was found submerged in a pond on the Tergola River and its license plates had been removed.
Despite the lack of license plates, investigators have managed to identify the owner of the vehicle through the chassis number. It is a person residing in the province of Venice, who had not reported the theft of the car. The Carabinieri are questioning him to clarify his position and to understand how the vehicle ended up in the place where the victim was found.
The manner in which the body was found has reinforced investigators' belief that a deliberate attempt was made to remove the body after the murder. It is suspected that the vehicle was pushed into the water by hand, while investigators are also verifying the reason why that particular area was chosen to hide the body.
The Carabinieri are analysing security camera footage in the area, including from a factory near the scene. The investigation has also focused on the section of the river where the car was found, while authorities have opened the gates to lower the water level and carry out more detailed checks.
One of the clues being examined is that the people who chose that place to hide the body could have known the area and the characteristics of the river well. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances of the murder and to identify those responsible.
