Stefano Argentino, convicted of murdering 22-year-old Sara Campanella after months of stalking, was found dead in his cell at Messina’s Gazzi prison. The 27-year-old died by suicide despite previously being under strict monitoring due to expressed suicidal intentions upon incarceration. Prison authorities had lifted enhanced surveillance 15 days prior after psychological evaluations indicated improvement in his condition, including resumed eating and transfer to a shared cell.
Penitentiary police discovered Argentino’s body, prompting an investigation by the Messina Prosecutor’s Office. Argentino was awaiting trial scheduled for September 10th before the Court of Assizes for the femicide committed last June, when he fatally stabbed Campanella on a Messina street.
“This is the terrible epilogue of a terrible story,” stated Concetta La Torre, lawyer for Campanella’s mother. “He decided the fate of two families. This is a very painful blow.” Argentino’s defense attorney, Stefano Cultrera, attributed responsibility to the state, claiming a denied psychiatric evaluation request could have “saved at least one of the two lives.”
Evidence compiled by Carabinieri investigators revealed extensive premeditation. Campanella had recorded audio on her phone during the final stalking incident, explicitly telling Argentino, “Leave me alone… Are you following me?” Minutes later, he fatally stabbed her. Argentino’s phone contained a defaced photo of Campanella alongside written threats like “from dreaming of you to being your worst nightmare,” along with internet searches months prior on where to inflict fatal wounds. Prosecutors confirmed he purchased the suspected murder weapon, a knife matching Sara’s wounds, via Amazon.
Argentino, a confessed killer apprehended hours after the murder near his Noto residence, faced charges including premeditation and cruelty. The case highlighted documented stalking preceding the attack, evidenced by Campanella’s final text to friends: “The sick man is following me.”