Mario Sedda, who died of acute asphyxiation, has been accused of denying the charges.

Mario Sedda, the poet from Porto Torres killed in Porto Torres on the night between March 29 and 30, 2021, died of acute mechanical asphyxia, caused by the blockage of his airways due to the presence of significant blood. Death, therefore, would have occurred from suffocation, due to blood entering his airways, not from the stabbing in the victim's face, but from the bruise caused by a large stone thrown at Sedda's face, which fractured his nasal septum. This suggests a slow death that occurred 30 minutes after the attack.

This is according to the technical report of the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, Francesco Serra, presented during the lengthy hearing, which began the morning and concluded the afternoon of April 16, at the Juvenile Court of Sassari, before a panel presided over by Judge Guido Vecchione. In the courtroom, in addition to the defendant charged with voluntary homicide and desecration of a corpse, Emanuele Sircana, 21, from Porto Torres, represented by attorney Alessandra Delrio, were also present, along with the victim's sister, Eleonora Sedda, represented by attorney Pietro Diaz, and Costantino Biello, the lawyer for Mario Sedda's ex-wife and son. The medical examiner noted that the puncture and cut injuries, at least 15, were to the face, abdomen, hand, and left foot.

Two facial injuries were found, containing fragments of a 20-centimeter-long ceramic knife blade, while other injuries were reportedly caused by rocks, one of which was large, found at the crime scene. The defendant offered to testify spontaneously, recounting witnessing the argument between Mario Sedda and Salvatore Carboni and stealing the knife from the latter, throwing it away before leaving the crime scene. Also in court were Carabinieri Lieutenant Alberto Maria Pittalis, who is conducting the investigation by examining wiretapped telephone conversations, and the girlfriend of the key witness, Francesco Dore. The next hearing for the defendant's examination is June 16. Mario Sedda's body was found on April 1, 2021, at the entrance to the city of Porto Torres.