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09 April 2025

Tragic Murder-Suicide Shocks Small Italian Town

A couple found dead in Confienza raises questions about their tragic end and the circumstances surrounding it.

A tragic family incident unfolded on April 8, 2025, in a house located at vicolo Castellazzo in Confienza, a small town in the province of Pavia, Italy. Around 5 PM, the lifeless bodies of a husband and wife, 68-year-old Anselmo Zanellato and 66-year-old Chiara Crivellini, were discovered.

According to initial investigations, the events appear to point towards a murder-suicide scenario. Reports indicate that Anselmo allegedly killed Chiara in the kitchen with a knife before retreating to an external shed where he took his own life using a 12-gauge hunting rifle. The weapon was found next to his body.

The grim discovery was made by their daughter-in-law, who had gone to check on the couple after being unable to contact them. Upon entering the home, she found Chiara lying on the kitchen floor with multiple stab wounds, which were fatal. Anselmo was found in a shed in the courtyard, deceased from a gunshot wound.

The local carabinieri from the Vigevano and Robbio stations quickly arrived on the scene to conduct investigations and gather evidence. They worked late into the evening, interviewing neighbors and relatives in an attempt to reconstruct the events leading up to this tragic incident.

Preliminary assessments by a forensic doctor were carried out at the scene, but it remains unclear when the tragic events transpired. Neighbors reported that they had not seen the couple for several days, and the timeline of the incident will likely be clarified through autopsy results.

Both Anselmo and Chiara had a son who did not live with them, and according to reports, there were no prior allegations of violence or mistreatment within the household. Anselmo was a retired worker, while Chiara was a housewife.

This heartbreaking case has left the small community of Confienza in shock, as residents grapple with the implications of such a tragic outcome. The investigation continues as authorities seek to uncover the motives behind this apparent murder-suicide.