The first photo is from 3:53 PM: Sempio is talking to a reporter from inside the car parked near the house. Shortly after, other images show him on the street, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, with very long hair, and his father standing next to him. In those and other shots, Chiara's aunt can also be seen with her daughters Stefania and Paola Cappa. Those photographs, eight in total and unpublished since August 13, 2007, were recovered from a hard drive, which apparently appeared damaged, by a local photographer who took them that day in Garlasco. They were published Sunday evening on YouTuber Francesca Bugamelli's Bugalalla Crime channel.
Yesterday morning, the same photographer, after being summoned, appeared before the Carabinieri of the Milan Investigative Unit, who are leading the investigation by the Pavia Prosecutor's Office, and the investigators acquired the images, which could be useful in determining who actually participated in the surveys carried out at the time by the Carabinieri.
These photos certainly don't constitute evidence against Andrea Sempio, under investigation for complicity in Chiara's murder. Indeed, his defense lawyers insist, "they merely attest to the veracity of Andrea Sempio's statements regarding what he did on August 13, 2007. We hope, at this point, that there are also photos or videos of the Piazza Ducale in Vigevano on the morning of that tragic day, thus removing any needless doubts regarding the receipt."
Sempio, who had already been on the record in previous investigations, had said that earlier that afternoon he had driven with his father along Via Pascoli, noticing "the presence of an ambulance and people," but the two hadn't stopped. Then, around 4 p.m., he returned alone, stopped, and learned from a journalist "that a girl had been found dead," and then someone began to say it was Chiara. Then, according to his statement, he returned home and again to the house, this time with his father. Giuseppe Sempio confirmed: "My son went out and came back a while later to tell me he'd heard what had happened. So we went out together again and returned to the crime scene." Sempio had also spoken of a "crowd" on Via Pascoli, which isn't apparent in those images. At the scene, besides the investigators, were only Stefania and Paola Cappa with their mother, and Sempio himself with his father. Chiara's parents and brother, who had not yet returned from the mountain, are missing, and there are no other citizens.
Regardless of the photos, the Pavia Prosecutor's Office is ready to close the investigation and request that Andrea Sempio be sent to trial. By December 5th, expert Denise Albani will submit the report in the preliminary investigation that should confirm the compatibility of the DNA found on Chiara Poggi's fingernails with that of the male line of the Sempio family.
We are also awaiting the opinion of Professor Cristina Cattaneo, who will be called upon to ascertain the time of death, the weapons, and the dynamics of the crime, completing the picture already outlined in the blood pattern analysis by the RIS in Cagliari.
The hearing that will conclude the preliminary investigation will be held on the 18th. Then, prosecutors will have to summarize all the findings and, in early 2026, they may request a committal for trial based on "multiple clues" against the suspect. These clues will be revealed next year, with the request for a committal for trial. Something may emerge even at the conclusion of the preliminary investigation, but some elements already exist, including the motive, which is unknown but which investigators are confident they have identified.
DNA
The expert report will be submitted by Friday, but Denise Albani has already released the results of the analysis, which indicate a match between the genetic material and the male Sempio family line, thus confirming the tests already conducted by the Prosecutor's Office. The defense believes that the DNA is not the killer's signature, but rather a transfer of genetic material from objects previously touched by the victim (remote control, computer). The Prosecutor's Office disagrees, also because, for example, there is no DNA from Stasi or his family members under Chiara's fingernails, genetic material with which secondary contact would have been easier.
Footprint 33
It's the famous fingerprint on the wall of the stairs leading to the basement where the body was found. According to Pavia prosecutors and a RIS expert report, it has 15 details that overlap with Sempio's. It's one of the few pieces of paper discovered by investigators in these months of investigation, revealed to Tg1 when Sempio failed to appear for questioning. The defense says that fingerprint cannot be attributed to anyone.
The ticket
Then there's the Vigevano parking ticket, provided by Sempio to the Carabinieri in 2008, a year after the murder. It would provide an alibi for the 37-year-old, proving he wasn't in Garlasco when Chiara was killed. However, aside from the strange circumstance of the ticket being kept for a year, according to the Prosecutor's Office, that ticket doesn't belong to Sempio, who was never in Vigevano that morning. According to some witnesses, the ticket belongs to his mother, who had gone to Vigevano that morning to meet a friend.
The phone calls to the Poggi house
In the days leading up to the crime, Sempio made several phone calls to the Poggi home. He stated in his statement that he called to see if his friend Marco was home. But beyond the strange nature of those calls (Sempio always called Marco on his cell phone), investigators believe it's unlikely that Sempio didn't know Marco was in the mountains, given that the two saw each other so often.
The Brescia investigation
These are two separate investigations conducted by two different prosecutors. But if corruption to quickly close the 2017 investigation into Sempio is proven, Andrea's situation would worsen. The 37-year-old and his family, interviewed by Brescia investigators, maintain that the money was requested by the three lawyers at the time (Soldani, Grassi, and Lovati) for defense fees, who wanted it only in cash.
The motive
The point shrouded in secrecy during the investigation. But investigators have let it slip that they've also identified a motive, the one never identified in Alberto Stasi's case. They've found a link between the victim and Sempio. The 37-year-old has always maintained that he and Chiara weren't seeing each other, and the very lack of any connection between the two was a powerful argument used by Sempio's defense to maintain his innocence.
(Unioneonline)