Marco Prato, a man who was standing
trial for allegedly for killing Luca Varani for kicks in Rome
last year during a drugs binge, was found dead in his cell at
Velletri jail on Tuesday after committing suicide.
In a suicide note, Prato said he had decided to kill himself
because of the "lies" told about him and the "media hype"
surrounding the case.
A hearing in the trial against Prato was set to take place on
Wednesday.
He was found during an inspection with a plastic bag over his
head.
Police said he had inhaled gas from a small cooking-gas
canister with the bag over his head.
His cell mate did not realise anything had happened.
Velletri prosecutors have opened a probe into instigation to
suicide, against person or persons unknown.
Last year a detention review court rejected Prato's appeal to
be released from preventive custody.
Prato and fellow suspect Manuel Foffo are accused of
homicide aggravated by cruelty after they allegedly tortured,
beat and stabbed Varani, 23, to death during a cocaine-fueled
party on March 4 last year.
Foffo and Prato originally told investigators they tortured
Varani so that he would have a slow death.
"We just wanted to kill someone to see what effect it had
on us," Foffo allegedly said.
They had looked for a victim for at least 48 hours prior to
choosing Varani and inviting him over to Foffo's flat,
investigators said.
An autopsy has determined he was struck some 30 times with
a knife and a hammer before dying of shock from blood loss.
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