Italian authorities in Reggio Emilia have placed a 76-year-old man under house arrest, alleging he used a cream-filled pastry (bombolone) as a murder weapon to kill his 74-year-old disabled cousin for a $320,000 inheritance.
The victim suffered from severe dysphagia - a medical condition rendering him unable to swallow solid food - and was under strict doctor's orders to consume only pureed and liquid meals to prevent asphyxiation. The suspect, who had served as his cousin's legal guardian since 2009 and was fully aware of his medical restrictions, allegedly smuggled solid pastries into the care facility where his cousin resided. To distract the nursing staff, the suspect left the pastries with his cousin and walked over to the duty station under the guise of showing nurses a razor package.
After consuming the pastry, the victim began suffocating. Rather than raising an immediate alarm, the suspect attempted to give the victim a carbonated drink before calmly notifying staff without disclosing what had been eaten. Nurses discovered the truth only after spotting crumbs on the victim's clothes. Despite emergency resuscitation efforts, the man died of cardiac arrest caused by complete airway obstruction.
Prosecutors allege the suspect acted with premeditation to secure his share of the victim's liquid assets, valued at over €300,000. Investigators also noted previous attempts to deliver prohibited food and documented subsequent efforts by the suspect to align family members' statements to mislead police.