New analyses in the Garlasco crime: reopening of the investigation and the hunt for the DNA of “Unknown 2”

Almost 18 years after the murder of student Chiara Poggi, il Garlasco case returns to the center of attention thanks to new forensic analysis which could shed light on a mysterious second genetic profile, identified as “Unknown 2”. The investigations, conducted by the Pavia Public Prosecutor's Office in collaboration with the Carabinieri Investigative Unit of Milano, aim to track down further biological traces, in an operation that could reveal details that have never been ascertained in previous investigations.

In 2015, the victim's boyfriend, Alberto Stasi, was definitively sentenced to 16 years in prison after a long judicial process that saw him involved in every phase of the investigation. The case had already attracted attention for the presence of several traces of DNA on the nails and fingers of the young Chiara Poggi. Among these findings, the DNA from Andrea Sempio, a lifelong friend of the victim's brother, whose genetic profile was compatible with one of the five haplotypes found. However, the initial analyses were not considered sufficient to unequivocally identify the origin of all the traces found.

The discovery of the DNA of “Unknown 2”

Recently, During new tests carried out on samples taken from the victim's nails, investigators detected a second genetic profile, called "Unknown 2". This discovery immediately raised the interest of the investigators, who hypothesize a possible origin of direct contact with the victim.
Le Initial analyses suggest that the DNA of “Unknown 2” cannot be traced back to accidental or mediated contacts, as could have occurred through the use of shared objects – for example, the keyboard of the family PC, which in fact had been turned off for three days before the crime. investigators believe instead that this trace is the result of direct contact, thus broadening the range of possible subjects involved.

The new forensic evidence

A a crucial part of the new investigative phase concerns the search for evidence that can provide further comparisons biological. Items under consideration include:

• Pajamas and bath mat
• The Computer Keyboard
• Other objects present in the villa: Numerous findings, which until now have been kept in investigative or judicial offices, are emerging during the research and could reveal further elements of connection between the crime scene and the people involved.

In parallel with the DNA analysis, new consultations will be started to verify other traces, such as the shoe print found at the scene and papillary fragments found, for example, on the soap dispenser. in the bathroom. These further analyses, conducted by experts such as Carlo Previderè – already involved in highly complex cases such as the Yara Gambirasio case – promise to provide useful comparative elements to reconstruct the dynamics of the crime more precisely.

Andrea Sempio and the position of the parties involved

Andrea Sempio, whose position in the previous investigations was archived in 2017 and then again in 2020, returns to the center of attention. Investigators are now trying to establish a match between the DNA taken from the 37-year-old and the genetic profiles preserved from the victim's nail edges.
THESempio's lawyer, Massimo Lovati, commented with a reassuring tone: “My client is calm and is considering returning to work after taking a few days off from the phone shop where he works".

On the other side, the Poggi family has always relied on the lawyer Gian Luigi Tizzoni, who is about to file the nomination as injured party. The position of the family, strengthened by the testimony of numerous magistrates – who, it is estimated, were around forty – reiterates Alberto Stasi's full responsibility for the crime. The victim's brother, Marco Poggi, was recently heard and his friendship with Sempio was once again highlighted, while Chiara's parents will be heard again in the next few days.

New hearings and the re-evaluation of digital traces

In addition to DNA tests, The Prosecutor's Office intends to resume hearings of witnesses, who could provide further clarifications on the context in which the crime took place. Investigators do not rule out interviewing the victim's family members again, trying to reconstruct details that, years later, may have emerged in previous interrogations.
Another aspect that is about to be re-evaluated concerns the fingerprints and footprints left on the surfaces of the villa.

Next steps and possible directions of the investigation

The Pavia Prosecutor's Office is confident in "new elements" that could change the reconstruction of the events of 2007. With the'genetic tests are about to begin, the case is preparing for a crucial phase in which the identification of “Unknown 2” and the comparison with Andrea Sempio's DNA could lead to new developments. 
Over the next few weeks, it is expected that witness hearings will resume and further evidence will be examined that, until now, had been considered unrepeatable or destroyed. The investigators' goal is to put together all the pieces of the forensic puzzle, in order to obtain a complete and coherent reconstruction of the event.

The new analyses and the discovery of the genetic profile “Unknown 2” represent a potentially decisive turning point which could offer new food for thought on what happened.
While the investigations continue and hearings will resume, the comparison between the different positions – that of the Poggi family and that of Andrea Sempio's defense – will continue to keep attention high.