Italian prosecutors have opened a double homicide probe after preliminary toxicology tests found ricin in the blood of Antonella Di Ielsi, 50, and her daughter Sara Di Vita, 15, who fell ill after a Christmas Eve meal and died two days later. Five Cardarelli Hospital doctors were initially investigated for manslaughter after the pair were discharged from the emergency department, but defence lawyers say the ricin findings could change the legal picture. Investigators have seized the family home and are searching for traces of the toxin and any links to dark-web sourcing; full autopsy results from Pavia experts are due by the end of April.
Italy Opens Double Homicide Probe After Ricin Found in Mother and Teen Daughter
Doctors initially thought Antonella Di Ielsi and her daughter had food poisoning. - Antonella Di Ielsi/Facebook
Italian prosecutors have launched a double homicide investigation after preliminary toxicology tests detected traces of the potent toxin ricin in the blood of a mother and her teenage daughter who fell ill after a Christmas Eve meal.
Fifty-year-old Antonella Di Ielsi and her 15-year-old daughter, Sara Di Vita, were admitted to the Cardarelli Hospital in southern Italy on December 24 with symptoms first treated as suspected food poisoning. Both died two days later, on December 26.
What Prosecutors Say
Prosecutors say subsequent blood tests identified ricin in the victims. Elvira Antonelli, the prosecutor now overseeing the inquiry, told La Repubblica that blood samples from the victims test positive for the toxin, while tests of the husband/father and a 19-year-old sibling — who did not become ill — showed no traces of ricin.
Antonelli cautioned that reports of deliberate poisoning remain unconfirmed and said investigators will await full autopsy findings and the conclusions of experts in Pavia before drawing conclusions.
Medical And Legal Context
Ricin, a highly toxic compound derived from the castor bean plant, can be deadly in small amounts. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, internal bleeding and organ failure; death can occur within days. There is no specific antidote, and treatment is limited to supportive care.
After the deaths, five doctors at Cardarelli Hospital were initially investigated for manslaughter and alleged medical negligence because the patients were discharged from the emergency department on December 24. That manslaughter probe has not been formally closed, but defence lawyers say the toxicology findings could alter their clients' legal position.
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities have sequestered the family home and are searching the premises for traces of ricin. Investigators are also probing potential sources of the toxin, including whether it could have been obtained via the dark web. Local officials note the castor bean plant that yields ricin grows in the Molise region, but extracting the toxin requires expertise and specialized equipment.
Police and prosecutors are examining acquaintances and anyone who may have had access to the family home or the holiday meal. Local coroner Pia Benedetta De Luca has ordered further autopsy tests, including analyses by Pavia experts; local reports say those results are expected to be delivered to the prosecutor's office by the end of April, when charges could potentially be filed.
CNN has contacted the prosecutor's office for comment. The hospital has declined to comment, citing privacy concerns.
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