A potential DNA contamination has emerged in the investigation into the 2007 murder of Chiara Poggi, for which Andrea Sempio is now under investigation while her then-boyfriend, Alberto Stasi, stands definitively convicted. The Pavia Prosecutor’s Office announced that unknown DNA found on gauze used 18 years ago by a medical examiner to collect biological material from the victim’s mouth may stem from contamination during prior autopsies. Consequently, the office has commissioned new analysis by forensic anthropologist Professor Cristina Cattaneo.
Following the discovery of the unknown genetic profile, prosecutors stated they ordered specific verifications due to the potential contamination. Geneticists Carlo Previderè and Pierangela Grignani conducted comparative analyses—not initially planned—during the new Poggi murder inquiry. Comparing the DNA with histological samples from five males autopsied concurrently with Poggi revealed a match with an individual identified only by the anonymous code 153E.
The Prosecutor’s Office further disclosed it has tasked Cattaneo, renowned for her work on the Yara Gambirasio case, with “new verifications concerning the cause of death.” To ensure a broader assessment of all evidence, both medico-legal and from the crime scene, prosecutors appointed Cattaneo as an additional consultant, citing her status as a leading figure in forensic anthropology and legal medicine.
Defense lawyers for Alberto Stasi, Giada Bocellari and Antonio De Rensis, swiftly responded, declaring the DNA contamination finding constitutes one of “these extremely serious facts” that “fundamentally compromise the evaluations made during Stasi’s trial and are in themselves sufficient to warrant a revision of his conviction.” They argued the nature of the DNA on the gauze required rigorous verification to exclude contamination, claiming the Pavia Prosecutor’s diligence now “demonstrates, once again, the total unreliability of the 2007 investigations,” compounding other recent errors.
“Those who welcome the contamination finding forget these grave facts fundamentally undermine Stasi’s trial and already justify revising his sentence,” Bocellari and De Rensis emphasized. They concluded that appointing the “highly renowned and competent” Cattaneo “confirms the absolute seriousness of the ongoing investigation and the Pavia Prosecutor’s will to re-examine every single aspect of this tragic case.”