In brief
Andrea Sempio stated on Quarto Grado that Pavia prosecutors lack conclusive evidence to justify an indictment for the 13 August 2007 murder of Chiara Poggi.
Sempio argued that imprint 33 on the cellar staircase contained no blood when tested and cannot be matched to him or any specific person.
Sempio noted he wears size 44 shoes compared to the size 42 Frau crime scene print and stated that three pre-murder calls totaled under 30 seconds.
- 13 AugChiara Poggi is killed in Garlasco
- 2 OctAndrea Sempio responds to Pavia prosecutors in television interview
Television interview on Pavia inquiry
Andrea Sempio, the 38-year-old suspect in the 13 August 2007 murder of 26-year-old Chiara Poggi in Garlasco, publicly addressed the allegations following the second closure of the investigation by the Pavia prosecutor's office. Speaking in an interview with Guglielmo Mazzola for the program Quarto Grado, broadcast on Retequattro and hosted by Gianluigi Nuzzi and Alessandra Viero, Sempio stated that prosecutors lack the evidence required to secure an indictment. Sempio indicated that while he does not believe the case warrants a full trial, his defense is prepared to proceed if magistrates decide to issue a formal summons.
“It does not seem to me that there are arguments to reach a real trial. If it happens that we have to go to court, that is, to face a real trial, we will face it.”
Disputed handprint on cellar staircase
A central point of contention between prosecutors and the defense concerns imprint 33, a right-hand mark located on the wall of the cellar stairs near where Poggi's body was discovered. Pavia prosecutors, utilizing technical assessments from the Carabinieri Racis unit, argued that the imprint could match Sempio and did not rule out the possibility that it was left in blood. Sempio contested the attribution, stating that his team examined the minutiae and concluded the mark cannot be assigned to him or anyone else. He noted that multiple people placed their hands against the wall while using the stairs, adding that original examinations detected no blood on the trace.
“At the time they conducted various tests and found no blood. Today anyone can say whatever they want. We do not need to know what could not be, or what cannot be excluded. You must have certainty: was the trace on the wall? Yes. Was it analyzed? Yes. Was there blood? No. End of story. As I see it, the matter ends there.”
Shoe measurements and stalking accusations
Sempio also challenged prosecution claims regarding a shoe print left at the crime scene. Forensic consultant Professor Cattaneo determined that a size 42 Frau shoe print found at the house was compatible with Sempio's foot measurements. Sempio stated that he wore size 44 shoes in 2007 and continues to wear size 44 today, emphasizing that investigators never discovered compatible or bloodstained footwear at his residence.
- Crime scene Frau shoe
- 42 EU
- Andrea Sempio shoe size
- 44 EU
Data from the article text
Regarding allegations of a sexual motive or stalking, Sempio noted that records show three telephone calls to the Poggi residence before the murder lasting under 30 seconds combined. Computer analyses commissioned by prosecutors confirmed that intimate video files were never copied or transferred to outside devices from computers belonging to Poggi or Alberto Stasi.
Stasi bicycle pedal tests and investigation status
The defense team for Alberto Stasi separately pointed to potential laboratory errors regarding forensic testing on Stasi's bicycle pedals. Stasi's technical experts noted that Poggi's DNA was detected on the pedals on one day but was absent during subsequent tests the following day, suggesting an accidental laboratory mix-up with a breakfast spoon sample used by Poggi. Sempio stated that the conclusion of this investigative phase brings relief after years of circulating theories.
The Pavia prosecutor's office will determine whether to proceed with a formal indictment request as defense attorneys prepare their counterarguments on the forensic findings.