Italian father confesses to killing wife and son with hunting rifle: 'I did what had to be done'

The crime

On the afternoon of Wednesday 24 June, 63-year-old bricklayer Piero Moriconi shot dead his wife Kety Andreoni, 52, and their son Mirko Moriconi, 24, inside the family home in Pieve, a hamlet of Camaiore in Tuscany. Carabinieri arrested him shortly afterwards. According to investigators, Moriconi had been planning the double homicide for roughly three weeks.

I took the rifle and fired: I did what had to be done.

After the arrest he also told officers,

I've freed myself.

The interrogation

During questioning before prosecutor Elena Leone, Moriconi painted a picture of constant conflict at home. He described his son as hyperactive, psychiatric, violent, and addicted to drugs and alcohol.

My son was crazy and my wife hit me,

he told investigators, adding that the couple were forced to hide money in the house because Mirko kept asking for cash.

Asked about his son's homosexuality, Moriconi replied,

I was anxious because my son was gay.

The 63-year-old is being defended by lawyer Giacomo Fabbri, who said his client is devastated and now understands he has ruined two lives in addition to his own.

Motives and family tensions

The suspect portrayed the shooting as the culmination of an escalating financial dispute.

Yesterday I argued: the umpteenth discussion about money. My son did nothing but ask me for money. And so at that point I took the rifle and shot them both,

he stated. He claimed his wife constantly sided with Mirko, threatened to leave, and that he himself had been struck by her. Investigators are examining whether rejection of the son's sexual orientation and gender-identity exploration played a role, alongside the alleged economic grievances.

Mirko Moriconi's story

Mirko Moriconi was openly gay and had told close friends he wanted to begin a gender transition. On social media he shared his love of music, his bond with his mother, and his pain. In a 2022 post he wrote that his father would prefer him dead rather than gay. He had recorded a rap song in 2020 and had launched a crowdfunding campaign last March to finance his first official single. Kety Andreoni was a constant presence in his online life, frequently commenting and sharing moments of their daily life.

Reactions

Singer Noemi posted a tribute on Instagram, calling the killings unacceptable and expressing solidarity with Mirko and his mother. Maria Antonietta Gulino, president of the Order of Psychologists of Tuscany, linked the tragedy to the harm caused by discrimination and the need for a culture that respects differences. The local Church also expressed shock, while the investigation continues under the Lucca prosecutor's office.