Marrazzo prostitute murder probe
Transsexual linked to ex-governor 'destroyed second video'
20 November, 18:10
(updates previous story on site).
(ANSA) - Rome, November 20 - Italian prosecutors have opened
a murder probe into the death Friday of a transsexual prostitute
linked to disgraced Lazio ex-governor Piero Marrazzo.
Brenda was one of two prostitutes linked to Marrazzo, who
resigned last month after it emerged he had been blackmailed
over a video showing him with another transsexual sex worker,
Natalie.
The dead prostitute's personal computer was found in her
sink during a search of her fire-damaged apartment, police said.The PC was still wet and appeared to have been doused in an attempt to make its contents irretrievable. The PC has been taken to a police lab where computer experts will try to get what they can from it, police said.
In a recent interview with police, Brenda said she had a copy of "a second video" on the computer but had erased it because she was afraid. Brenda, whose real name is not known, appeared to have died from smoke inhalation, police said.
A bottle of whisky and packed suitcases were found near the woman's semi-naked and burned body.
Traces of flammable liquid were also found near the body.
Marrazzo resigned on October 27 after it emerged he was being blackmailed by rogue cops, who were arrested three days earlier.
Natalie, the prostitute filmed with Marrazzo, reacted to Brenda's death by saying: "I'm not afraid because I didn't do anything".
"I wasn't a friend of Brenda's. I never met her," she said.
"I don't know if she was killed". The video of Marrazzo and Natalie was shot on August 3 after two of a gang of four Carabinieri broke into her apartment.
The rogue cops then unsuccessfully tried to sell it to various publications, including a gossip magazine owned by Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
Marrazzo's lawyer, Luca Petrucci, said ''the affair is taking a tragic and worrying turn'' and called for Natalie to be placed under police protection.
Brenda had the work number of Marrazzo and used to phone him there while Natalie used to contact him on his cellphone.
On November 9, a week after her November 2 questioning about the rumoured second video, she was found lying drunk and bruised on a Rome street claiming she had been robbed by a gang of eastern Europeans.
Police had to stop her banging her head off a car.
She was taken to hospital where she tried to attack a doctor with a scissors.
Two prostitutes told police Friday that Brenda had ''often'' spoken about suicide.
Another, Barbara, said ''they killed her, I don't know who''.
''She was psychologically ill, she wanted to return to Brazil. Now they must find who did this,'' she said.
Brenda is the second person linked to the Marrazzo case to die.
The other, an elderly and obese drug pusher popular among the prostitutes, Gianguarino Cafasso, had a fatal heart attack in September.
Police are awaiting the results of final tests to corroborate initial findings that his death was caused by an overdose.
