Italian police trace ricin search IP address in Pietracatella double murder case
Investigators in Italy identified an IP address used to search for ricin preparation in the Pietracatella poisonings, while questioning two witnesses in Campobasso.
Tracing the digital search
Investigators working on the deaths of Antonella Di Ielsi and her 15-year-old daughter Sara Di Vita have traced an internet query about preparing powdered ricin. Tracking conducted in the United States identified an IP address that corresponds to the area of Pietracatella in the Molise region of Italy. The digital query was executed several days before the two victims died from ricin poisoning in late December 2025. Prosecutors and police detectives are narrowing their focus on three distinct actions: who conducted the online search, who manufactured the toxic powder, and who brought the substance into the Di Vita residence.
Witness questioning and office searches
On the afternoon of 2 October 2026, the Squadra Mobile at the Campobasso police headquarters summoned two women for formal questioning. Both women are relatives of two individuals previously interviewed during the investigation and were questioned as persons informed of the facts. The summons followed procedural steps taken on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, when Gianni Di Vita, the husband of Antonella and father of Sara, appeared at the police station. Di Vita voluntarily surrendered an electronic device to investigators and has visited the station three times in close succession to hand over two computers and a USB flash drive. Officers also conducted targeted searches at Di Vita's two professional offices in Pietracatella and Campobasso, removing documents, digital hardware, and a handbag belonging to his deceased wife.
His legal counsel confirmed his cooperation during the office inspections:
Gianni is not under investigation, but is an injured party. He was asked to give police access to both of his offices, in Pietracatella and Campobasso, and he accompanied the officers himself as they searched both premises.
Forensic laboratory findings and timeline
The Public Prosecutor's Office in Larino is directing the inquiry under charges of premeditated double homicide. Forensic toxicologists and biological specialists at the Robert Koch Institut in Berlin, who received evidence seized from the Pietracatella residence, requested a 30-day extension on 2 October 2026 before submitting their final technical report. Investigators expect the Berlin findings to clarify the exact chemical formulation and delivery vector of the ricin.
- Antonella Di Ielsi and Sara Di Vita attend Christmas Eve lunch with family
- Mother and daughter die in Pietracatella following ricin poisoning
- Police search Gianni Di Vita's offices in Pietracatella and Campobasso
- Detectives trace ricin search IP address and question two witnesses in Campobasso
Family response in Pietracatella
The local community in Pietracatella has followed the proceedings since the deaths occurred between 27 and 28 December 2025. Luigi Di Ielsi, brother of Antonella and uncle of Sara, operates a local bakery in Pietracatella with his partner Giovanna. In the nine months following the deaths, the couple had a son named Antonello Aras, combining the names of his late sister and a masculine anagram of his niece. In an interview published on 1 October 2026, Luigi recalled seeing both victims during a peaceful family lunch on Christmas Eve 2025.
He dismissed suggestions that the poisonings were accidental:
It is difficult to think of an accident. Poison was found in their blood, a lot of poison, and I do not think anyone today truly continues to believe that.
