Lucrezia Ciotti The investigation into the deaths of Antonella Di Ielsi and her daughter Sara Di Vita focuses on the source of the ricin and some online searches conducted before the poisoning . Among the leads being investigated by investigators are the discovery of castor oil plants in the Molise countryside and the analysis of approximately 200 computers at four schools.
Online research on ricin: About 200 computers in four schools checked
Alongside the investigations in the area, attention has shifted to possible digital traces left before the deaths of Antonella Di Ielsi and Sara Di Vita. Investigators are trying to trace the origin of several requests for information about ricin that appeared online last August.
Among the elements highlighted by la Repubblica is a post on Reddit, published by a user who described himself as a writer. The task of the specialists is to determine the device from which those searches originated and whether they have any real connection with the other data collected in the investigation.
To broaden the investigations, the Prosecutor's Office ordered checks on approximately 200 computers belonging to four schools.
The State Police are using a computer program capable of detecting keywords associated with chemical substances of interest. The initial phase of the investigation involved two schools in Riccia : the agricultural institute, where the husband of a math teacher, a friend of Gianni Di Vita, works as a lab technician, and the local high school. At the latter, 21 devices were examined, including those located in the teachers' lounge. The teacher mentioned in the reconstruction works at the high school and is said to have previously also taken computer training, having served as a supervisor of the dedicated service for five years.
According to the information provided, no computers have been seized during the investigations already conducted. The investigations are expected to continue at two other schools: the classical high school in Campobasso , attended the previous year by Sara and her sister Alice, and the high school for human sciences in Casacalenda , where a cousin of Gianni Di Vita apparently teaches as a support teacher.
The presence of individuals connected to the schools involved does not, in itself, constitute evidence of their responsibility. It will be necessary to verify the reliability of any data recovered and compare it with other investigative findings.
The deaths of Antonella Di Ielsi and Sara Di Vita, the ricin trail: plants found between Riccia and Lake Occhito.
Where did the ricin that caused the deaths of Antonella Di Ielsi and her daughter Sara Di Vita come from ? This is one of the questions investigators are trying to answer. As reported by La Repubblica , one of the investigations concerns some plants identified in the countryside between Riccia and Lake Occhito , along the border between Molise and Puglia. According to the newspaper, the specimens were identified by the Campobasso Flying Squad as part of the investigation coordinated by the Larino Prosecutor's Office, led by Prosecutor Elvira Antonelli.
Castor bean is a plant whose seeds can be used to extract ricin, an extremely toxic substance. The capsules containing them mature between August and October, making it necessary to further investigate the plant's presence in the area. Investigators intend to determine whether there is a connection between what was found in the area and the poison used in the case of the two women. At this time, however, there is no evidence to suggest that the substance was actually derived from those plants. Their identification constitutes a lead to be investigated, while the entire pathway that led to the availability of the toxic compound remains to be reconstructed.