VICENZA – Two former US soldiers, husband and wife, were found dead at their home in Pozzoleone. The 44-year-old man was known to have long-suffered from depression and subsequent investigations indicate he took his wife’s life before committing suicide.

 A priest from the US Southern European Task Force (SETAF) raised the alarm yesterday afternoon, concerned by the repeated lack of response from the man, originally from Boston, to his phone calls.

 A public prosecutor opened an investigation into their deaths, and following preliminary studies, it has been confirmed that no third person was involved in the tragic incident.

 The priest found the victims in separate rooms of their house; the woman, 40, of oriental origin, was discovered lying in bed with no indication of violence. Initial examinations have been narrowed down to one, reportedly clear hypothesis, suggesting that she was suffocated in her sleep.

 Her husband, who had been contracted by an external company in Vicenza following his military career, was located in the couple’s bathroom, surrounded by a pool of blood having slit his throat. On the floor by his side, he had smeared his final words in his own blood, reading, “I’m sorry.”

 Back in 2017, Italian police launched their “This is not love” campaign, focused on tackling persistently high reports of domestic violence across the country. Through this, they aim to raise awareness for the issue as well as better train officers with how to manage and prevent incidents.

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