The double murder case in Aigio has become a major headache for authorities, as DNA testing has yielded no conclusive results. No fingerprints were found on either the gun or the murder weapon knife, and no gunpowder residue was detected on the hands of the 65-year-old suspect — findings that initially appeared to favor the Italian defendant. However, according to the “Live News” program, forensic science appears to be dismantling these apparent alibis one by one, and authorities continue to regard the 65-year-old as the prime suspect.
Aigio: Why the lab findings don’t exonerate the 65-year-old Italian
Speaking on the Mega channel program, experienced forensic pathologist Pantelis Alexandrou decoded the findings and explained why the theory that the mother killed her son is being ruled out — since no fingerprints belonging to either victim were found on the trigger or the knife handle, leading investigators to conclude that a third party may have been present at the scene. “The fact that the victims’ DNA was found, while no suspect fingerprints were detected, can mean one of two things: either the perpetrator wore gloves, or the weapons were meticulously wiped clean,” he stated.
Investigators’ theories: blood evidence and the smell of bleach
As for gunpowder residue, none was found on the hands of the victims — nor on the defendant. Authorities maintain this is not an exonerating factor, as he had ample time — a full 6 hours — to alter the crime scene.
The 65-year-old has insisted from the very beginning that he was asleep, heard nothing, and when he woke up he went straight to the bathroom as he was suffering from a viral illness. This was also the reason, he claims, that he showered, washed his underwear and a towel, and hung them up to dry — items on which laboratory testing detected no traces of blood. “Many things could have happened — the underwear may have been thrown away or washed,” the forensic pathologist added.
When asked whether all traces of blood could be eliminated by thoroughly cleaning a garment, the forensic expert answered: “If it’s been washed with bleach, nothing remains. Especially if it was washed at high temperature and immediately afterward,” he added.
It is worth noting that when authorities arrived at the crime scene, the premises smelled strongly of alcohol and bleach. Despite an extensive search, they were unable to locate the mop and bucket that were known to have been in the house.
“I have never seen 20 stab wounds on a suicide victim”
What further complicates the case is the fact that the murdered woman showed defensive wounds, yet no genetic material belonging to the Italian was found under her fingernails. “However, this does not mean there was no physical struggle involving other parts of the body,” the forensic pathologist noted.
The defendant continues to claim that the mother and son killed each other. If that scenario were true, the 54-year-old woman would have had to enter her son’s room while he was asleep, engaged in a struggle with him — as evidenced by her defensive wounds — shot him at point-blank range, and then stabbed him four times in the chest.
She would then have had to place the gun next to the wardrobe after meticulously wiping it clean of her fingerprints, then position herself behind the bedroom door and inflict 20 stab wounds upon herself.
“At the very least, I have never seen 20 stab wounds on a suicide victim. There is no mention anywhere of hesitation wounds. Furthermore, even a single wound can be fatal. The sheer number and repetition of wounds can only indicate extreme aggression — and there is absolutely no indication of suicide,” the forensic pathologist stated.
Police are examining all scenarios and analyzing all available evidence, while the 65-year-old Italian — who has already been remanded in custody — continues to maintain his innocence.
The suicide possibility
Forensic pathologist Grigoris Leon told Live News: “First and foremost, what we need to examine is the direction of the wounds and whether they are consistent with a suicide. For example, wounds to the back — one can easily understand that a person committing suicide cannot reach their own back.”
He further emphasized that the large number of wounds is itself a factor that, in his view, rules out the suicide scenario. “We have seen suicides involving knives, and with multiple stab wounds, but they never reach a high number — for a very simple reason. Once a person receives a critical blow, their ability to continue inflicting wounds upon themselves ceases,” he told Mega.
Tampering with the crime scene
The absence of specific evidence may itself indicate interference at the scene, stressed Grigoris Leon. “There are no invisible hands. When a person fires a gun, we find gunpowder and soot residue on their hands, and fingerprints along with genetic material on the weapon. If none of these findings have been recovered, it obviously means the crime scene has been tampered with,” he stated pointedly.
Kalliakmanis: “There is a route with no cameras”
“Where is the mop, the bucket, the clothes the killer was wearing — whoever that may have been — and the shoes?” said Giorgos Kalliakmanis, adding that “there were no cameras at the back of the house.” “If someone went out to dispose of evidence, there is a route with no camera coverage,” noted the honorary president of the Southeast Attica Police Officers’ Union, speaking on Live News.
