Sami Khemaies, 39, stabs wife Luigia Fortunato to death in Loreto, then turns himself in
A 39-year-old Tunisian man stabbed his 33-year-old wife to death on Thursday evening in their Loreto apartment. He then walked bloodied into the street, told passersby he had killed her, and turned himself in to carabinieri.
The attack
Around 10 p.m. on Thursday 9 July, Sami Khemaies, 39, stabbed his wife Luigia Fortunato multiple times inside the home on Via Bramante 194 in Loreto, Ancona province. The couple had been arguing, and the violence erupted at the peak of a quarrel. The victim, 33, had separated from him some time ago, but they still shared the apartment. Their seven-year-old son was at his maternal grandmother's house and was not present during the killing.
Confession on the street
After the stabbing, Khemaies staggered out of the building covered in blood, in a state of shock. He told passersby, "Ho ucciso la mia ex" (I killed my ex), a line reported by several witnesses who then dialled the emergency number 112. Carabinieri from Porto Recanati and Osimo quickly reached the scene, stopped the man, and took him to the Porto Recanati barracks. There he repeated his confession, and officers found the woman's body in the apartment. The 118 emergency services arrived but could do nothing; the wounds were too severe.
I killed her and I turned myself in.
Arrest and investigation
Khemaies, described as having a criminal record, was formally placed under arrest for aggravated voluntary homicide and transferred to Montacuto prison in Ancona. On Friday morning he met with his lawyer, Simone Matraxia. The prosecutor, Rosario Lioniello, has ordered an autopsy on the victim's body. The validation hearing for the arrest is expected to be scheduled for Monday 13 July.
- Khemaies stabs his wife Luigia Fortunato in their Loreto home.
- Khemaies confesses to carabinieri and is placed under arrest for aggravated homicide.
- Prosecutor orders autopsy; validation hearing set for Monday 13 July.
Femicide numbers
The killing is the latest in a grim pattern. According to the observatory "Non Una Di Meno", Italy recorded 84 femicides and at least 78 attempted femicides in 2025. So far this year, the same group has counted 34 femicides and 64 attempted femicides. A law passed in 2024 introduced femicide as a distinct crime punishable by life imprisonment, but rights groups say the structural emergency persists.
From the start of 2026, 34 femicides and 64 attempted femicides have been recorded in Italy.
- 2025 femicides
- 84 count
- 2025 attempted
- 78 count
- 2026 femicides (to date)
- 34 count
- 2026 attempted
- 64 count
Who they were
Luigia Fortunato, originally from Cerignola in Foggia province, Puglia, had lived in Loreto for years and worked as a waitress. She leaves behind her young son. Khemaies, a Tunisian national, had a turbulent relationship with her, but the family was not previously known to social services.
