Alessandro Venier was killed and dismembered by his mother and partner in Gemona on July 25th, the culmination of a highly complex crime. According to a detailed reconstruction by his mother, Lorena Venier, presented during her arrest validation hearing, the two women first drugged him with medication dissolved in lemonade. When Venier began regaining consciousness, Lorena Venier, a nurse, administered an insulin injection. Subsequently, they attempted to suffocate him. Failing manually, the partner used shoelaces to strangle him. The dismemberment of the body into three pieces occurred much later.
Lorena Venier testified, “Mailyn’s life was in danger, we couldn’t wait any longer,” explaining why she and her daughter-in-law killed her son. Her lawyer, Giovanni De Nardo, reiterated this family dynamic motive outside the Udine court, confirming the motive stemmed from domestic issues and Lorena’s strong bond with her daughter-in-law and grandchild. Moving to Colombia, they claimed, would have exposed the partner to extreme danger.
Investigative sources indicate Lorena Venier described an escalating climate of violence in the household, with repeated and severe abuse by Alessandro Venier towards his partner, allegedly threatening her survival. The newborn child was reportedly not directly involved in the violence but witnessed the domestic tension. Evidence presented confirmed lime purchased online before the murder to cover the body, supporting the charge of premeditation.
During the hearing, De Nardo requested house arrest for Lorena Venier, citing her full confession, detailed cooperation (eliminating evidence tampering risk), no flight risk (as the women didn’t flee during the week between the murder and reporting it to police), and no risk of reoffending. The investigating judge reserved the decision, as was done previously for partner Mailyn Castro Monsalvo.
Mailyn Castro Monsalvo allegedly told Lorena Venier, “The only way to stop him is to kill him,” to convince her to participate in her son’s murder, according to hearing testimony confirming earlier statements. Consequently, only Castro Monsalvo faces the additional charge of instigation to murder. Both women are charged with premeditated murder, aggravated by familial ties, the presence of a minor, corpse concealment, and desecration of a body.