A critical DNA finding in the 2007 murder of 26-year-old Chiara Poggi in Garlasco has been debunked as contamination, eliminating the theory of an “Unknown 3” suspect. The development emerges as the case marks its 18th anniversary, with family friend Andrea Sempio now under investigation and victim’s ex-boyfriend Alberto Stasi serving a definitive sentence.
Genetic material recovered at the crime scene in Via Pascoli solely belongs to Stasi and, according to Pavia prosecutors, the family friend. This negates the hypothesis of a third, unidentified genetic profile previously detected on a gauze pad used by the coroner 18 years ago to collect biological samples from Poggi’s mouth.
The Pavia Prosecutor’s Office, suspecting possible contamination from prior autopsies, ordered specific tests outside the ongoing evidence-gathering hearing. These revealed the DNA matched one of five male bodies autopsied before Poggi. A sample “showed allele concordance with the subject identified by anonymous code 153E” – the so-called Unknown 3. Prosecutors stated the verification aimed to “prevent unnecessary investigations into third parties” and allow forensic geneticist Denise Albani, whose work received unanimous recognition for its rigor, to focus on relevant material.
In a separate development, prosecutors appointed Professor Cristina Cattaneo, a leading forensic anthropologist from the University of Milan known for the Yara Gambirasio case, as an additional consultant. She will conduct a broader evaluation of medical-legal evidence from both the victim and the crime scene.
Stasi’s lawyers, Giada Bocellari and Antonio De Rensis, expressed strong satisfaction with the exclusion of Unknown 3. They cited the DNA contamination as among the “extremely grave facts” that “fundamentally undermine the assessments made during Stasi’s trial,” asserting these facts alone warrant a sentence revision. The lawyers stated the findings demonstrate the “complete unreliability” of the 2007 investigations, compounding errors uncovered in recent months.
Meanwhile, Poggi’s parents, Rita and Giuseppe, had hoped to commemorate their daughter’s anniversary privately “in silence and alone.” The renewed investigation scrutiny makes this unlikely. No public memorial masses are scheduled this year, unlike previous August 13 observances held at Garlasco’s parish church or the Madonna della Bozzola sanctuary. Any remembrance will be strictly private.