Murder in Padenghe: conviction of Alessandro Galletta and Italian justice under scrutiny

Alessandro Galletta has been sentenced to 16 years for the murder in Padenghe, concerning the killing of watch dealer Carlo Mortilli, which took place on May 21, 1997, in the parking lot of the West Garda hotel. After two hours of deliberation, the judges of the Court of Assizes decided to grant Galletta mitigating circumstances, deeming them to outweigh the aggravating factors presented by the prosecution, which had sought a life sentence. The reasons for the verdict will be communicated within 60 days. Mortilli was the victim of a robbery carried out by three criminals, one of whom fired the fatal shot. The investigation into Galletta was reopened more than twenty years after the crime due to the analysis of genetic traces found on a sock worn by one of the robbers, which were compared to those in the national DNA database. This evidence led to Galletta being considered guilty of the murder, despite the defense’s request for acquittal. Previously, other accomplices in the crime had already been sentenced: Marcello Fortugno to 17 years and eight months, and Fabio Cosoleto to four years for his role as an accomplice. Italian Version