In a shocking revelation, a 61-year-old Italian woman, Lorena Venier, confessed to the murder and dismemberment of her own son, Alessandro Venier, 35. The confession came after her son’s wife, Mailyn Castro Monsalvo, 30, contacted the Italian police to admit her involvement in the gruesome act, which took place on July 25.
The remains of Alessandro were discovered in the basement of the house he shared with his wife and their six-month-old daughter in Gemona del Friuli, Italy. Lorena, a nurse by profession, admitted to the court that she had personally dismembered her son. She used a hacksaw and a sheet to contain the blood, dividing his body into three parts. The absence of blood splatters allowed the Carabinieri police to find everything in order, she explained.
The motive behind the horrifying act was to protect Castro from the alleged physical abuse she suffered at the hands of Alessandro. Lorena and Castro had been planning the murder for months, following the birth of Alessandro and Castro’s daughter in January. Lorena claimed that Castro had been violently beaten, insulted, and repeatedly threatened with death by Alessandro. When Lorena attempted to report the abuse, she was allegedly assaulted by her son.
Alessandro had reportedly discussed relocating to Colombia, Castro’s home country, with their child. However, Lorena feared for the safety of her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, believing they would face serious risks in Colombia. She stated that the only way to protect them was to kill Alessandro, who had allegedly threatened to drown his wife in a Colombian river.
The murder was carried out in the hidden cellar of Lorena’s home in Gemona del Friuli, Udine, Italy. Lorena and Castro allegedly drugged Alessandro with tranquilizer-laced lemonade and two shots of insulin from the hospital where Lorena worked. Despite the heavy dose of insulin, Alessandro remained alive. He was then suffocated with a pillow, strangled with shoelaces, and his body was covered in quicklime to mask the smell.
Lorena told the court that Castro’s involvement was limited to moving the remains. She had hoped that her son’s disappearance would go unnoticed as the family had plans to move to South America. However, this plan was thwarted by Castro’s confession. Lorena has been charged with murder and concealing a body, while Castro is under investigation for instigation to murder.