Forensic pathologist Luigi Papi has performed an autopsy on the body of Maria Rita Morrone at the Lucca morgue. The 65-year-old woman was found dead on a park bench in Viareggio (Lucca) on August 14th. She and her husband had been living in their car for some time, though during the summer period they had been sleeping completely outdoors on benches in the green space of the former airfield.
Dr. Papi has 60 days to file the official forensic report. Meanwhile, the Lucca prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for alleged manslaughter. In recent days, it served formal notices of investigation to two doctors from the Versilia hospital in Lido di Camaiore—one from the emergency room and one from the dermatology department. The deceased woman had been treated at the hospital for a leg condition. A key point of the inquiry is to determine what type of assistance, both social and medical, she received from public agencies, given this was a clear case of social marginalization.
In the wake of the incident, the mayor of Forte dei Marmi, Bruno Murzi, expressed solidarity with the hospital’s emergency staff on behalf of the mayors of Versilia, particularly regarding criticism on social media. The Fials trade union, which represents the largest number of employees at the Lido di Camaiore hospital, has also defended its colleagues, denouncing the consequences of budget cuts. The union’s secretary, Daniele Soddu, stated, “No to the social media pillory; now solutions are needed.” The Lucca Medical Association has also recently expressed solidarity with the doctors and the head of the emergency department, Giuseppe Pepe.
The lawyer representing the woman’s husband, Enrico Carboni, has also reiterated his full confidence in the doctors. He stated the goal is not to accuse but to understand what happened and what can be done to overcome potential refusals and resistance in cases involving vulnerable couples like this one McKenna.