New details from the Garlasco murder investigation have surfaced regarding undisclosed investigative errors and omissions involving the bicycle of Alberto Stasi. A handwritten note discovered in the archives of the Parma RIS reveals that tests for blood traces conducted on Stasi’s bicycle pedals on September 20, 2007, returned negative results but were never communicated to defense teams or the prosecutor at the time.
Handwritten Note Reveals Undisclosed Bicycle Tests
The newly revealed document was authored by then-Lieutenant Colonel Marino of the RIS and was found inside case files stored at the Parma RIS headquarters. The handwritten note indicates that both a blood detection test and a specific human blood test known as the Obti Test yielded negative results on September 20, 2007. These findings were omitted from the official reports delivered to then-prosecutor Rosa Muscio. Journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi noted during a broadcast of "Dentro la Notizia" that while the omission suggests the early file may be compromised, it does not necessarily point to an organized conspiracy by the institution itself.
Genetic material recovered from the bicycle pedals was found to be human DNA and specifically male DNA, adding another layer of complexity to the file. Former RIS geneticist Giorgio Portera confirmed to magistrates that the Obti Test specifically designed to detect human blood returned a negative result on that date. Technicians involved in the original investigation have defended the omission by arguing that the biological sample was too small, characterizing the negative outcome as a potential false negative.
Defense Team Disputes Blood Test Results
Journalist Giuseppe Brindisi highlighted the timeline’s significance, pointing out that investigators conducted tests on September 20, 2007, that should have clarified the presence or absence of blood on key evidence. Marina Baldi, a geneticist on the defense team for Andrea Sempio—the individual ritenuto dalla Procura di Pavia l’assassino di Chiara Poggi—addressed the technical implications during the broadcast. Baldi stated that an Obti Test returning negative typically indicates the absence of blood, disputing theories that environmental factors like lime could inhibit the test’s accuracy in this specific instance.
The Pavia Prosecutor’s Office is examining whether the failure to disclose these negative test results stemmed from an intent to preserve the existing prosecution case against Alberto Stasi. Brindisi stated on the program that his sources indicate these disclosures represent only a fraction of additional details that may emerge as the case files undergo renewed scrutiny.
Unresolved Questions Surrounding the Parma RIS Archives
Investigators have yet to clarify why Lieutenant Colonel Marino’s handwritten note was retained in the Parma RIS archives rather than destroyed if an active suppression of evidence was intended.
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