LECCE - A retired Carabiniere Marshall has been shot and killed on a street in the suburbs of Copertino, in the province of Lecce, after dinner at his sister’s house, according to police sources. He is believed to have been hit at close range by at least seven pistol shots.

  The murder of Silvano Nestola, who was 46, took place on Monday night in the Tarantino neighbourhood, according to witnesses, and his lifeless body was found on a dirt road between Copertino and San Pietro in Lama, by the wall of his sister’s villa, where he had gone for dinner with his son.

  Police sources suggest that someone called for Nestola outside the house, most likely someone he knew, and that he had gone outside to respond. Preliminary investigations revealed that he was shot at close range at least seven times, being hit four times, with the shots also shattering the passenger’s side windows of his car, in which he had attempted to flee. He died with his 12 year old son at his side.

  A hooded man, with his face covered to avoid being recognised, was seen running away from the site of the murder, running into the surrounding countryside, and police are now attempting to track him down.

  It has been suggested that the perpetrator may have run to a car, driven by an accomplice, though the only witness so far is Nestola’s twelve year old son - other members of his family were still inside - and so police are still trying to piece together what happened.

  The emergency services were called but by the time they arrived there was nothing to be done, and he died on the spot.

  Investigations are being conducted by the Carabinieri of Copertino, and the Special Operations Group (ROS) of the Lecce Carabinieri. At the moment they are not excluding any possibilities and are maintaining maximum confidentiality. 

 Nestola had been in service in the provincial Carabinieri command in Lecce as a Marshall, until last September, when he retired.

ol