It is still unclear who is behind the triple murder near Messina
Mystery surrounds the case of a triple murder in the woods of Sicily on January 28. It cannot yet be fully solved, although the investigation of the mysterious crime in the woods near Montagnareale, in the province of Messina, has entered a decisive phase. The prosecutor’s office in Pati is conducting a case of intentional homicide and already has an official suspect, a man who was in the area on the day of the tragedy. His role is believed to be key to clarifying what happened. Investigators are working on two main versions, while the results of ballistics examinations and autopsies are expected to be decisive for the course of the case.
It all started with the alarming disappearance of three hunters who, early in the morning of January 28, went to the wooded area of the Caristia area, in the municipality of Montagnareale, in the province of Messina. Hours later, after the men did not return home or answer their phones, a tip-off was made. The search ended with a gruesome discovery: the bodies of Antonio Gattani, 82, and brothers Giuseppe and Davis Pino, 44 and 26, respectively, were found lifeless in the woods, shot to death.
The footage that greets the carabinieri is chilling. The bodies are located about 30 m from each other, almost lined up. First, Giuseppe Pino was found, then his younger brother, and finally the elderly hunter. There is a weapon next to each body, but initial inspections suggest that the scene does not correspond to a classic hunting accident. The wounds, placement and distances between the bodies suggest a rapid and escalating sequence of violence.
According to the first reconstructions, Giuseppe Pino was shot in the chest and died first. Shortly afterwards, Antonio Gattani was also fatally shot in the torso. The youngest, Davis, was wounded initially from a distance, then finished off with a shot at close range, a detail that heightens suspicions of the presence of another person at the scene.
Among the most inexplicable elements is the discovery of Gatani’s dog locked in the car. Data from the GPS collar showed the animal never left the car, which is unusual for a hunting trip. Doubts are also raised by the behavior of a man, a friend of the elderly hunter, who arrived with him in the area, but according to his own words, left early in the morning, shortly before the tragedy. He claims he didn’t hear the shots or notice anything unusual, even though the murders happened within a short time.
It is this 50-year-old man, without a permanent job, engaged in small agricultural activities, who is entered in the register of suspects. His weapons, as well as those of other hunters in the area, were seized for ballistic comparisons by experts in Messina. The results are expected to reveal whether the bullets found in the bodies match any of the weapons seized.
Investigators are analyzing two main versions. The first involves a tragic incident that escalated into a murderous chain: an accidental shooting, followed by return fire and third-party intervention to eliminate witnesses. The second version speaks of a heated dispute in the forest, possibly over hunting territory considered “private”, which escalated into a fatal conflict.
Meanwhile, on February 6, the funerals of the victims were held in Patty and Saint-Pierre Nichetto. The two brothers were buried according to the ritual of Jehovah’s Witnesses, to which they belonged. The squares were filled with silent people, hunters and ordinary citizens, united in shock and bewilderment. For the area, this is one of the most mysterious crimes in recent years, and the answer to the question of what exactly happened in that forest is still missing.
date:2026-02-08 11:31:00
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