A 98-year-old former Nazi officer, convicted of war crimes in 1944, has been found living under the radar in Italy, authorities confirmed. The man, identified as a former SS officer, had been on the run for nearly eight decades before being tracked down near Naples.
Italian police, working with German investigators, located the fugitive in a small village at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. He had been using a false identity and blending into the local community.
Decades of Evasion
The convicted war criminal was originally sentenced in absentia by a court in Stuttgart for his role in the massacre of Italian civilians during World War II. Despite extensive manhunts over the years, he managed to avoid capture by moving between remote locations across Europe.
"This shows that justice has no expiration date," said a spokesperson for the German prosecutor's office. "Even after 75 years, we remain committed to holding war criminals accountable."
How He Was Caught
The breakthrough came when investigators cross-referenced historical records with modern residency data. Tiny inconsistencies in his paperwork eventually led authorities to his doorstep.
Neighbours expressed shock at the revelation, describing the elderly man as a "quiet loner" who mostly kept to himself. "He never talked about the past," one local resident told reporters.
The suspect is now facing extradition proceedings to Germany, where he will serve his original life sentence. Legal experts note this may be one of the last prosecutions of living Nazi war criminals due to their advanced age.
