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Murder of Chiara Poggi

SOLVED2007Garlasco, Province of Pavia, Italy3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Chiara Poggi, a 26-year-old economics graduate, was found fatally struck with a blunt object on the morning of 13 August 2007 inside the villa where she lived with her family in Garlasco, in Italy's Province of Pavia. The weapon was never identified or recovered. Poggi was alone in the house at the time, as her parents and brother were away on holiday; investigators found no signs of forced entry and concluded she had opened the door herself, while still in her pyjamas, to someone she knew. Her boyfriend, Alberto Stasi, an economics student who later became an accountant, reported the discovery of her body to police.

Suspicion quickly centered on Stasi. His shoes, which he said he wore while walking through the blood-marked interior of the villa while searching for Poggi, showed no trace of blood — a discrepancy a 2014 forensic report concluded was inconsistent with his account. Two witnesses reported seeing a black women's bicycle leaning against the villa's wall around the time of the killing; Stasi's family owned bicycles of both a men's and a women's model, and biological material from Poggi, though not blood, was later found on the pedals of his own burgundy bicycle. A report commissioned seven years later by a lawyer representing the Poggi family as civil party suggested the pedals from the two bicycles might have been swapped; prosecutors themselves rejected that theory at a 2014 appeal hearing as "mathematically excluded." Genetic material recovered from under Poggi's fingernails produced male markers described as compatible with, but not conclusively matching, Stasi; according to media leaks, the same material also corresponded to at least two other, unidentified male profiles. A hair found at the scene lacked a follicle and yielded no usable DNA.

Stasi was arrested in September 2007 and released days later for insufficient evidence. He was acquitted at his first trial before the Court of Vigevano in 2009 and again on appeal in Milan in 2011. In 2013, the Supreme Court of Cassation annulled the second acquittal and ordered new DNA testing on hair and fingernail evidence. At a further appeal in December 2014, despite the absence of a DNA match, Stasi was convicted and sentenced to 24 years, later reduced to 16 under Italy's abbreviated-trial procedure; the Supreme Court of Cassation finalized that conviction and sentence on 12 December 2015, describing the killing as an act of rage without identifying a specific motive. Stasi has continued to maintain his innocence and has unsuccessfully sought review of the verdict, including rejected appeals to the Supreme Court of Cassation in 2021 and to the European Court of Human Rights in 2023 and again in 2025. He entered a work-release program in January 2023 and, under a 2018 agreement, has been paying civil compensation to the Poggi family.

In March 2025, investigators reopened aspects of the case after new forensic analysis of previously untested DNA recovered from under the victim's fingernails indicated a male genetic profile that did not match Stasi.

Key facts

Victims
Chiara Poggi
Date
2007
Location
Garlasco, Province of Pavia, Italy
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2007-08-13

    Chiara Poggi is found fatally struck with a blunt object at her family's home in Garlasco; the weapon is never identified or recovered.

  2. 2007-09-24

    Alberto Stasi is arrested by order of the Vigevano prosecutor's office; he is released four days later by the investigating judge due to insufficient evidence.

  3. 2009-12-17

    The Court of Vigevano acquits Stasi at first instance.

  4. 2011-12-07

    The Court of Assizes of Appeal in Milan again acquits Stasi, "for not having committed the crime."

  5. 2013-04-18

    The Supreme Court of Cassation annuls the second acquittal and orders new DNA testing on hair and fingernail evidence.

  6. 2014-12-17

    On appeal, Stasi is found guilty and sentenced to 24 years, later reduced to 16 under the abbreviated-trial procedure.

  7. 2015-12-12

    The Supreme Court of Cassation finalizes Stasi's conviction and 16-year sentence.

  8. 2016-12-19

    Stasi's defense presents a genetic report concerning the fingernail DNA evidence.

  9. 2021-03-19

    The Supreme Court of Cassation rejects Stasi's request for a review of the conviction.

  10. 2023-01

    Stasi enters a work-release program.

  11. 2023-12-12

    The European Court of Human Rights declares Stasi's request for review of the conviction inadmissible.

  12. 2025-02-07

    The European Court of Human Rights rejects a second request for review.

  13. 2025-03

    Investigators reopen aspects of the case after new forensic DNA analysis of fingernail evidence indicates a male genetic profile that does not match Stasi; a person previously investigated and cleared is placed under renewed investigation for alleged conspiracy in the killing.

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People

  • Alberto Stasi

    CONVICTED

    Victim's boyfriend. Acquitted at trial in 2009 and on appeal in 2011; the Supreme Court of Cassation annulled the second acquittal in 2013. Convicted on appeal in December 2014 and sentenced to 16 years (reduced from 24 under the abbreviated-trial procedure); the conviction was finalized by the Supreme Court of Cassation on 12 December 2015. He maintains his innocence and entered a work-release program in January 2023.

  • Chiara Poggi

    VICTIM

    26-year-old economics graduate; found fatally struck with a blunt object at her family's home in Garlasco on 13 August 2007.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Garlasco, Province of Pavia, Italy

45.1942, 8.9348

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Chiara Poggi, 26, was found fatally struck with a blunt object at her family's home in Garlasco, Italy, on 13 August 2007. Her boyfriend, Alberto Stasi, was convicted in a final 2015 ruling, though a 2025 DNA re-examination has reopened scrutiny of the case.
Where did the murder happen?
Garlasco, Province of Pavia, Italy.
Who was convicted?
Alberto Stasi (Victim's boyfriend. Acquitted at trial in 2009 and on appeal in 2011; the Supreme Court of Cassation annulled the second acquittal in 2013. Convicted on appeal in December 2014 and sentenced to 16 years (reduced from 24 under the abbreviated-trial procedure); the conviction was finalized by the Supreme Court of Cassation on 12 December 2015. He maintains his innocence and entered a work-release program in January 2023.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Italy

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Chiara PoggiWikipedia · 2026-07-12
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — milano.corriere.itmilano.corriere.it · 2026-07-12
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — ilmessaggero.itilmessaggero.it · 2026-07-12

Record history

First published
JUL 13, 2026