She died in the swimming pool of her home in the Como area, her ex-husband arrested

The Carabinieri of the provincial command of Como yesterday evening carried out a precautionary custody order in prison against Carmine Civitillo, 76 years old, ex-husband of Patrizia Monteleone, the 64-year-old woman found dead last September 27th in the swimming pool of his house, in Buccinigo, a hamlet of Erba (Como).

Given the results of the investigation by the Como prosecutor's office, Patrizia apparently died of suffocation before being thrown into the water.

It was the ex-husband who raised the alarm that Sunday, claiming that he had left the house early to go towards Lecco, that he had returned late in the morning and found the pram next to the swimming pool, and his ex-wife in the water.

Intercepted a few days later by the Rai cameras of "La vita in diretta", he revealed that he had immediately contacted his son: "Come here immediately because your mother is here - he told him - you make your own arrangements". Then he clarified: "I'm not interested in anything about them (referring to both the ex-wife and the three children, ed.). What if I was on good terms with her? No, I repeat, I've been divorced for ten years".

Patizia Monteleone had returned to the home of her ex-husband and daughter Eleonora after the stroke that left her incapacitated two years ago.

Eleonora had worked hard to find different housing solutions for a long time, but without success, deciding to host her while waiting for alternative accommodation.

Civitillo was arrested in the province of Benevento, where he is originally from and where he had moved a few days ago.

He is under investigation for multi-aggravated voluntary homicide.

The hypothesis is that he suffocated his ex-wife (the autopsy would have highlighted a series of lacerations in the mouth), only to then throw her into the swimming pool in an attempt, perhaps, to simulate an accident.

And this even though Patrizia was absolutely unable to move independently either between the rooms of the house or in the garden.