SANT’ OMERO- The presumed murderer of 53-year old oncologist Ester Pasquloni outside the hospital where she workered in the province of Teramo, has been found dead in the town of Martinsicuro, police sources said Thursday. The man, 63-year-old Enrico Di Luca, took his own life by hanging himself in his home. 

Police found the main suspect after identifying his white Peugeot which witnesses reported leaving the scene after the attacker occured Wednesday evening.

Despite strong suspiscians that Di Luca was the perpetrator of the attack, no one saw him killing the victim and there is not yet concrete evidence that he was involved in the crime.

The victim, Ester Pasqualoni, had reportedly filed two complaints of being stalked, both of which were dismissed, a friend of the victim told Italian news agency ANSA.

 Local police form Alba Adriatica and the operative department of Teramo rushed to the scene, Wednesday evening, but despite being found alive in a very serious condition, the victim had sustained a stab wound to the throat, and died shortly after.

 A investigator had previously told ANSA that “we have an idea as to who could be the murderer and we are searching for them.” When asked about whether the attacker was a stalker of Pasqualoni the investigator replied, “it is very probably that we are talking about a person who was bothering the victim.”

 According to initial information, Ester Pasqualoni had just finished her shift at the hospital and was walking towards her car in the car park. Then someone saw a car pulling away and heard cries for help.

 “She had already presented two complaints against her stalker, but both were dismissed,” friend of the victim Caterina Longo told ANSA.

 She explained that the man had been pursuing her for many years: “He used to observe her and follow her everywhere. He just slipped into her life, we don’t know how, with cunning and deception. He was not her ex, he had nothing to do with her, he was just obsessed by her.”

The victim leaves behind two children.

jj