An Italian mother has confessed to murdering and dismembering her 35-year-old son, Alessandro Venier, claiming she acted to protect his girlfriend from abuse. The body was found at his home in Gemona del Friuli, near Udine, chopped into three parts and covered in quicklime to hide the smell.
Lorena Venier, a 61-year-old nurse, told prosecutors: 'I have done a terrible thing.' She alleged that her son was violent towards his Colombian girlfriend, Mailyn Castro Monsalvo, 30, who is the mother of their six-month-old daughter. Venier said she feared for their safety if the family moved to Colombia.
According to the confession, the pair attempted to kill Alessandro by giving him lemonade spiked with tranquillisers. When that failed, Lorena injected him with insulin taken from her workplace. He survived, so they smothered him with a pillow and strangled him with his shoelaces on July 25.
Lorena told police: 'I took care of the dismemberment myself. I used a hacksaw and a sheet to hold the blood. I dissected him into three pieces.' Mailyn has also confessed to involvement in the murder and is alleged to have helped. Both women are expected to be charged in the coming days.
Mayor Roberto Revelant described the crime as 'heart-wrenching' and said the community is rallying around the baby, who has been taken into care. 'Nothing like this has ever happened here before,' he added.
