Investigators say Lorena Isceri was abducted from a garage and called emergency services while confined in a vehicle before her death.
FLORENCE, Italy — Prosecutors are investigating whether the abduction and killing of Lorena Isceri was planned in advance after authorities found restraints and other evidence they believe show her former boyfriend prepared for the attack before taking her toward an A1 motorway viaduct.
Isceri was killed Thursday near Barberino di Mugello, north of Florence, after investigators say Federico Vella, 36, ambushed her at a garage, forced her into the luggage compartment of her vehicle and drove onto the A1 motorway. Vella later died by suicide from the same viaduct. ANSA identified Isceri as 45, although some other news reports listed her as 46. Florence prosecutors said Friday that premeditation was a leading theory, while an autopsy is expected to clarify important details about Isceri’s death.
According to the reconstruction reported by ANSA, investigators believe Vella waited for Isceri at a garage near Via Panciatichi on the outskirts of Florence. Authorities found evidence that the garage’s photoelectric sensors had been covered with tape, apparently preventing the automatic doors from closing. Investigators also found plastic ties and adhesive tape in the vehicle. Prosecutors are examining those items as possible evidence that the confrontation was prepared in advance rather than arising spontaneously.
Investigators say Vella attacked Isceri when she arrived and placed her in the vehicle’s luggage compartment. Her bag was also put inside, allowing her to reach her cellphone while the vehicle was moving. Authorities say Isceri was able to contact Italy’s 112 emergency service and remained connected with an operator for about 20 minutes. The call gave police information they could use to begin searching for the vehicle as it traveled away from Florence.
Italian reporting said investigators combined information from the emergency call with surveillance systems to track the vehicle onto the A1. Isceri may also have tried to contact her mother and a friend, although ANSA said investigators were still examining her seized cellphone to confirm the sequence of those calls. Police eventually located the vehicle near a motorway viaduct in the Barberino di Mugello area.
Authorities believe Isceri was thrown from the viaduct during the final stage of the incident. Early accounts differed over whether she was alive at the time of the fall, and prosecutors have not treated that question as settled. ANSA reported Friday that an autopsy will be ordered to determine whether she died before or after reaching the ground. That examination is expected to help investigators establish a more precise chronology of the killing.
Vella remained near the viaduct when highway police arrived, according to the investigative reconstruction. He then died by suicide. Investigators are reviewing motorway cameras and police body-camera footage as part of the case. Prosecutors also plan an autopsy on Vella and toxicology testing to determine whether he had taken drugs or other substances before the deaths.
The relationship between Isceri and Vella had recently ended, according to Italian news reports. ANSA reported that a friend of Isceri said she had urged her to contact law enforcement because of concerns about Vella. Isceri’s mother also told Italian media that her daughter had been afraid. Investigators said no prior formal complaint or police report from Isceri against Vella had been identified during the initial review.
Authorities are also examining Vella’s actions and communications before Thursday. ANSA reported that he posted a farewell message on social media earlier in the day. Investigators have seized cellphones and the vehicle and are expected to examine digital communications alongside physical evidence from the garage and car. Prosecutors have opened a voluntary homicide investigation against unknown persons as a procedural step that allows the required forensic and medical examinations to proceed.
The Florence investigation remained active Friday. Autopsies are expected to be formally ordered Monday, while investigators continue reviewing the seized phones, surveillance recordings, emergency-call evidence and physical items recovered from the vehicle. Prosecutors have not released a final reconstruction of Isceri’s death or a definitive finding on how far in advance the attack may have been planned.
Author note: Last updated September 4, 2026.