Prosecutors are investigating possible links to a sect or religious fanaticism after a 54-year-old man murdered his wife and children aged five and 16 overnight in the town of Altavilla Milicia, near Palermo, sources said on Sunday.
The man, named as Giovanni Barreca, called the Carabinieri police after the massacre and they arrested him overnight in the nearby town of Casteldaccia, the sources said.
A third child, a 17-year-old girl, survived the slaughter and is in a state of shock, according to the sources.
Barreca told prosecutors that he wanted to liberate the victims of "demons", the sources said.
There is talk of Barreca, reportedly a bricklayer, being a religious fanatic and of the possible involvement of people he knows in the crime, the sources said.
Charred parts of the corpse of Barreca's wife, Antonella Salamone, were found buried near the family home, sources said.
There is evidence that one of the children was was tortured and strangled with chains, the sources said.
It is thought that the three victims were murdered on Friday.
Altavilla Milicia Mayor Giuseppe Virga said the local community was in shock.
He said carnival events planned for this week have been shelved and a day of mourning will be called when the victims' funerals are held.
"I want to express the community's condolences to the families involved in this tragic event," he said.
Photo: an image with a religious message from Giovanni Barreca's Facebook page.
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