Pensioner arrested in Saonara after suffocating elderly mother-in-law and calling police

Emergency call and police response in Villatora

On the afternoon of 13 September 2026, emergency operators received a call on the 112 emergency line from a 70-year-old retired resident of Villatora, a frazione within the municipality of Saonara in the province of Padua. The caller, an individual with no previous criminal record, notified dispatchers that he had killed his elderly mother-in-law inside the home where they resided together. During the call, the man admitted to carrying out the assault moments earlier while the two were the only occupants present in the residence. He maintained continuous communication with the emergency operator, remaining on the telephone line until a responding patrol unit arrived directly at the property. Upon entering the house, law enforcement officers located the body of the deceased woman and took the caller into custody.

Domestic care arrangement and fatal assault

The victim, whose age was recorded as 96 in some reports and 97 in others, suffered from multiple debilitating medical pathologies that required round-the-clock supervision and care. She shared the Saonara residence with her daughter and her 70-year-old son-in-law, both of whom took on full-time caregiving duties for her daily needs. According to initial reconstructions established by investigators, the incident took place after the elderly woman expressed a routine request regarding her healthcare requirements and physiological needs. The 70-year-old man reacted by placing a bag over the victim's head, completely covering her airway until she suffocated and died. At the time the lethal attack occurred, the victim's daughter was absent from the property, leaving the elderly woman entirely in the care of her son-in-law.

Motive and statements to responding officers

Following the arrival of the patrol, the pensioner explained his actions to the responding military personnel at the scene. He described enduring a prolonged condition of severe emotional distress, which had accumulated over an extended period of managing the elderly woman's continuous care. The suspect stated that this psychological strain had become exacerbated by what he characterized as the victim's irrational behaviors and the progressive deterioration of her physical and mental health. He also admitted to investigators that he had grown exhausted from repeatedly hearing her voice complaints directed at him during daily care routines. These factors, according to the statements he provided to the officers, culminated in the fatal assault following her final request for medical assistance.

Forensic examinations and detention in Padua

Military personnel from the Carabinieri company of Piove di Sacco and the Investigative Unit of the Padua provincial command secured the Saonara residence to carry out comprehensive technical and forensic surveys. Duty public prosecutor Marco Brusegan from the Padua Public Prosecutor's Office arrived on site to coordinate the initial stages of the judicial inquiry. The prosecutor appointed forensic medical examiner Antonello Cirnelli to perform an initial external inspection of the body at the residence, followed by a formal autopsy to determine the precise physiological cause of death. After concluding the necessary investigative formalities and on-site evidence collection, the Carabinieri placed the 70-year-old under formal arrest on charges of homicide and transferred him to the Casa Circondariale di Padova prison facility, where he remains held in custody at the disposal of the judicial authorities.