Italy, life imprisonment for 59-year-old man who killed his wife and son and seriously injured his daughter

The court sentenced Salvatore Ocone to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and his 15-year-old son in Paupisi, in the province of Benevento. The verdict was handed down on September 30, 2026, exactly one year after the crime, which took place on September 30, 2025.

The 59-year-old was found guilty of the deaths of his wife, Elisa, 49, and his son, Cosimo, 15. Their minor daughter was seriously injured. The court accepted the request by Benevento prosecutor Nicola D’Angelo for the maximum sentence.

According to the reconstruction of events, Ocone initially attacked his wife at their home. He struck her on the head with a large stone, causing her death, and then attacked the children.

He put the victims’ bodies in a vehicle and attempted to leave the area. One day later, Ocone was arrested about 70 kilometers from Paupisi after he was found hiding in an olive grove in Ferrazzano, in the province of Campobasso.

Law enforcement officers found both children in the vehicle. The 15-year-old boy had died, while the girl, who was 16 at the time, had suffered a skull fracture and was in very serious condition.

After his arrest, Ocone admitted responsibility for the crime and was taken to Campobasso prison. He was charged with aggravated double murder, attempted murder and kidnapping.