Rimini court acquits Louis Dassilva of Pierina Paganelli murder after over 15 hours of deliberation, orders his release
A court in Rimini has acquitted Louis Dassilva of the 2023 murder of his neighbour Pierina Paganelli, ordering his immediate release after more than 15 hours of deliberation. Dassilva, 35, had been in prison since July 2024 and faced a life sentence.
After more than 15 hours of deliberation, the Corte d'Assise of Rimini acquitted Louis Dassilva of the murder of his 78-year-old neighbour, Pierina Paganelli, at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The 35-year-old Senegalese man, who had been in custody since July 2024, was freed immediately. He faced a life sentence had he been convicted.
The case dates back to the evening of 3 October 2023, when Paganelli was stabbed 29 times in the garage of her apartment building on Via del Ciclamino, a quiet residential complex in Rimini. The body was discovered the following morning by her daughter-in-law, Manuela Bianchi, who later became a central figure in the investigation.
Evidence and testimony revealed a web of relationships and grievances on the third floor where the victim, her son Giuliano Saponi, daughter-in-law Bianchi, and neighbours Dassilva and his wife Valeria Bartolucci all lived. Paganelli disapproved of the extramarital affair between Bianchi and Dassilva, though she did not know his identity. The prosecution argued that tensions over the affair and Paganelli’s wish to evict Bianchi after her husband’s recovery from a bike accident provided a motive.
The trial rested largely on circumstantial evidence and the account of Manuela Bianchi, who in March 2025 admitted meeting Dassilva shortly before discovering the body and said he instructed her on what to tell police. Forensics were crippled by badly preserved samples covered in mould, and a pharmacy camera the defence called into question did not capture Dassilva at the crime scene. Wiretaps also recorded Dassilva asking a witch doctor to place curses on the police and prosecutor.
- Pierina Paganelli stabbed 29 times in her apartment building garage
- Her body found by daughter-in-law Manuela Bianchi
- Louis Dassilva arrested
- Manuela Bianchi confesses to meeting Dassilva before finding body, says she received instructions
- Dassilva acquitted and released from prison
When the verdict was read, the courtroom erupted in applause. Dassilva wept and embraced his lawyer Andrea Guidi. Outside prison, he told supporters:
His wife Valeria Bartolucci added:Justice has been done. Justice has won. It's the rebirth of justice.
I have been telling you for three years that Pierina's killer is free. Finally part of the truth has emerged.
The prosecutor, Daniele Paci, has already announced he will appeal the first-instance decision to the Corte d'Assise d'Appello in Bologna. Legal experts note that overturning the acquittal will be difficult without new evidence. Defence lawyer Andrea Guidi stressed that alternative lines of investigation were not adequately pursued. For now, Dassilva will not return to Via del Ciclamino; he told his lawyers he wants to work and avoid the neighbourhood.
If the acquittal becomes final after the appeals process, prosecutors may open new investigations only if fresh elements emerge. The victim’s family, meanwhile, continues to seek justice for Paganelli’s brutal killing.
