Benito Miarelli, 57, is accused of brutally killing his 70-year-old brother Annibale with an axe before calling the police and barricading himself in his family home
An elderly man was allegedly murdered by his younger brother who beheaded him and threw his lifeless body from the balcony of their family home.
Benito Miarelli, 57, is accused of brutally killing his 70-year-old brother Annibale with an axe at 10pm on July 3 in the Benevento area of Italy.
Following the horrific act, Benito, in a state of confusion, reportedly alerted the police and barricaded himself in the house. The Italian national police force, Carabinieri, arrived to find Annibale’s headless body, riddled with stab wounds.
The police, along with firefighters, broke down the door of the room at the crime scene and apprehended Benito. He surrendered without resistance, underwent overnight interrogation, and was later transferred to Benevento prison.
Neighbours revealed that the two brothers had a history of frequent arguments and lived in the family home together. Annibale had returned to Pannarano a few years ago after living in Rome after his wife’s death leaving him to live alone. The older brother then moved back to his historic house which would have destabilised Benito’s situation.
However, the brothers’ relationship remained tumultuous. On the night of the murder, another heated argument is said to have broken out leading to the horrible crime.
Investigations are underway as the Carabinieri question relatives and acquaintances to uncover the motive behind this gruesome act. The local community remains in shock as the investigation continues, trying to piece together the events leading to this tragic and brutal crime.
In April, a man was arrested after he allegedly killed his father and threw his severed head at passing cars in northern Spain. Police believe he beheaded the 71-year-old with an axe before using the same weapon to attack the vehicles of shocked motorists on the N-630 road in Soto de Ribera near the city of Oviedo in Asturias.
One of the drivers who witnessed the macabre scene said on social media: “A mad man on the roundabout in Soto de Ribera has just killed someone. There’s an old man’s head on the tarmac and a younger guy without his top on covered in blood who’s just threw himself at my car. Police arrived and manhandled him to the ground. Incredible.”
Another passing motorist witness told a local paper: “He threw the head at me after getting in front of me. He had the head in his hand and he was laughing. As I went by him, I turned round and saw him playing with the head as if it were a football. He must have thrown it at others.”
