Andrea Innocenti On February 21, 2025, the town of Veniano, in the province of Como, was struck by tragedy: the body of Ramona Rinaldi, 39, was discovered in the bathroom of her home. Authorities initially suspected suicide , suggesting she had hanged herself with her bathrobe belt.
The news caused an outcry in the local community, where friends and relatives expressed their shock at such a sudden loss.
The trial, which took place at the Como Assize Court, took a dramatic turn on November 11, 2026, when Daniele Re, 35, Ramona's partner, stood up in the courtroom and, without warning, declared himself guilty of the murder.
His statement, delivered in a calm but determined voice, surprised not only the audience present but also his own lawyer, defense attorney Alessandra Angelelli, who until that point had maintained a defense strategy based on denial of the facts.
The moment of confession in the courtroom
During the final phase of the investigation, Re uttered a few words: “I want to plead guilty and apologize to my family, my relatives, everyone.”
He then detailed the sequence of events of the tragic night: "I went to bed at midnight, woke up around 1:00 a.m., met her in the kitchen, hugged her, and started crying hard. When I let go, she wasn't moving." He later admitted covering up the incident, contradicting his previously maintained suicide version. His confession prompted prosecutor Antonia Pavan to request a new psychiatric evaluation, already underway to assess the defendant's mental capacity.
How Ramona Rinaldi's death was presented
Before the confession, the forensic reconstruction indicated the presence of a restraint belt tied to the shower head, suggesting a self-inflicted suicide . Witnesses reported hearing no noise during the night, and the apartment showed no signs of a struggle. The defense's version relied on these elements, arguing that Ramona had taken her own life due to a personal problem. However, Re's statement cast doubt on the initial analysis, revealing discrepancies between the actual scene and the reconstruction proposed by the publicist.
Psychiatric assessments and implications for the trial
The Assize Court judge granted the request for additional psychiatric evaluation and adjourned the trial until December 2, allowing time to evaluate the outcome of the new expert report. The appointed expert, Dr. Nicola Poloni, will assess Re's mental health, while the prosecutor's experts, psychiatrist Marian Verga, and the defense's psychologist Giuseppe Sartori, will present their analyses. They all agree on the existence of a personality disorder characterized by paranoia and obsessions, but disagree on the defendant's ability to understand the gravity of his actions.
The role of the cellmate in the decision to confess
According to recent testimonies, Re revealed that his decision to speak out was influenced by an emotional episode he experienced in prison: his cellmate, thinking about Ramona, burst into tears, prompting Re to reflect on his responsibility. This human element, if confirmed, could add a psychological dimension to the case, suggesting that the confession is not only a legal act but also an act of personal remorse .