Road tragedies, murders, femicides and the capture of Mesina: a year in the chronicles of Sardinia

2021 is coming to an end. A year of successes and epochal events, but also conflicts and tragedies.

One year, the second, with the whole world engaged in the battle against Covid-19.

A year to be retraced, also in images, through the news of UnioneSarda.it.

Sixth stage: the chronicles of Sardinia between fatal accidents, murders, femicides and the turning point on the case of Graziano Mesina.

PROTESTS IN SARDINIA: " NO TO NUCLEAR WASTE "

Sardinia in revolt, in the first days of the year, for the hypothesis of becoming a destination for nuclear waste . The protests explode after the publication of the National Charter of potentially suitable areas drawn up by Sogin and approved by the ministries of development and the environment. 14 sites are identified on the island divided between the provinces of Cagliari and Oristano: the municipalities concerned are Siapiccia, Albagiara, Assolo, Usellus, Mogorella, Villa Sant'Antonio, Nuragus, Nurri, Genuri, Setzu, Turri, Pauli Arbarei, Tuili, Ussaramanna, Gergei, Las Plassas, Villamar, Mandas, Siurgus Donigala, Segariu, Guasila and Ortacesus.

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20 YEAR OLD OF PALMAS ARBOREA DROWS IN THE CANAL AFTER THE ACCIDENT

A 20-year-old from Palmas Arborea, Manuel Zoccheddu , on 7 January ends up with his car in a canal that runs alongside the provincial road and drowns. Probably unconscious, he got stuck in the passenger compartment. The young man lived in Tiria with his mother and sister.

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THE MURDER OF MANUEL CAREDDU: THE CONDEMNATIONS CONFIRMED ON APPEAL

At the appeal process for the murder of Manuel Careddu , the sentences for the three adults are confirmed. The judges, on the first of February, reaffirm the life sentence for Christian Fodde, 30 years of imprisonment for Riccardo Carta and 16 years and 8 months for Matteo Satta. Manuel, 18 years old from Macomer, was lured into a trap on the shores of Lake Omodeo by a minor and attacked there for an alleged drug debt. He was hit several times with a shovel.

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"THE GIANTS OF MONT'E PRAMA RESTINO IN CABRAS"

Mobilization in Cabras to keep the Giants of Mont'e Prama in the museum, while for the Superintendency they must be transferred to Cagliari to undergo an adequate restoration. The community is not there and takes to the streets in February setting up a demonstration. The affair also brings into play the Minister Franceschini. An agreement for a Foundation will be signed in the summer, the Giants remain in Cabras.

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DEADLY ATTEMPT IN ORTUERI

In an ambush in Ortueri, on February 19, Marcello Musu is killed. The 54-year-old farmer had just opened the gate to his farm when a killer shot him with a rifle at least three shots when the man got out of his truck. From the autopsy it will emerge that the coup de grace reached him in the back of the head.

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SCARY ACCIDENT ON THE 554, WOUNDED ANDREA COSSU

Andrea Cossu , former Cagliari player and manager of the technical area, is involved in a terrible road accident on the 554, in Selargius, on February 20. Driving his Porsche Macan he lost control of the vehicle, crashed into the guardrail and overturned. Rescue, he is hospitalized at Brotzu in intensive care, in very serious conditions.

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END OF LIFE: THE CHOICE OF ROBERTO , 34 YEAR OLD FROM PULA

Roberto Sanna, 34 years old from Pula suffering from ALS, leaves for Switzerland on 2 March to undergo assisted voluntary death. A difficult decision matured a year after his diagnosis, and in a few months the disease had forced him to bed. But Roberto did not accept having to depend entirely on others. “A choice - was the comment of the mayor, Carla Medau - that breaks the heart in two and gives us all great pain. But no one has the right to enter into the merits of this decision made in full conscience. This is the moment of silence, respect, closeness to him and his family. Any discussion on the complex and delicate ethical implications of the story must be postponed to the future ".

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QUARTU, TRY TO KILL SISTER WITH A SPIT

A banal quarrel between brother and sister unleashes the fury of 49-year-old Diego Carta in Quartu Sant'Elena, who hits 69-year-old Luisa, former municipal councilor, with a spit, reducing her to death. Understanding the gravity of his gesture, he calls the police, who arrest him while the woman is rushed to the Brotzu hospital in Cagliari. It is March 9th.

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THE SKELETON FOUND IN UTA IS BY MARCO FRAU

In Uta, along a canal, an almost complete skeleton was found on 31 March. It was some kids playing in the area that raised the alarm. Only after the ritual analyzes will it be discovered that these are the remains of Marco Frau, the 52-year-old teacher from Villasimius who vanished into thin air in October 2019 after having dinner with a colleague who had not noticed anything strange in him. A mystery that, for family members, has never been completely clarified.

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FOXI, THREE YEAR OLD BOY, LOSES LIFE IN THE POOL

In a swimming pool in Foxi, on the Quartu coast, a tragedy is staged on 9 April: a 3-year-old child of Ukrainian nationality drowns. On the same day, Quartucciu is also shaken by a great mourning: a 6-year-old child is the victim of a cardiac arrest . In both cases, the rescue turns out to be useless.

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LUNCH IN SARDARA BECOMES A POLITICAL CASE

In April, the lunch that took place at the new Sardara baths and was interrupted by the Finance Police becomes a political case. The Fiamme Gialle sanction 19 people, including some politicians . The banquets were in fact forbidden due to the restrictions due to the health emergency, but this did not prevent them from taking place. Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor of Cagliari launches an investigation to assess the presence of criminal implications.

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TORTOLÌ: KILLED TO DEFEND THE MOTHER

In the night between 10 and 11 May Mirko Farci is killed in Tortolì.

The boy, only 19 years old, had intervened to defend his mother, Paola Piras, who was attacked with a knife by the ex-boyfriend, the Pakistani Shaid Masih, who had sneaked into the house. Mirko has no escape due to a blow that penetrates his lungs, while the woman is taken in serious condition to Lanusei, where she will undergo a delicate surgery and will remain hospitalized for many weeks.

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CAGLIARI, 30 YEAR OLD COOK STABLED TO DEATH

Murder at dawn on July 4 in Cagliari: Massimiliano Lilliu, a 30-year-old cook, is stabbed to death in San Michele. His roommate, Francesco Massa, 63, is accused. The latter had killed a young man in 1995, again by stabbing, in Domusnovas. After the arrest he will say that Lilliu " stole " in his room, and there had been numerous disputes over consumption in the apartment.

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SARDINIA ON KNEES AFTER THE NUMEROUS FIRES

Also this summer Sardinia had to deal with fires, particularly the province of Oristano in July. The fires devastated some 20,000 hectares of land. All of Italy gathers around the island and its inhabitants in front of the images of the devastation . Many gestures and demonstrations of solidarity towards the farmers who have lost everything: pastures, livestock and their activities. Other pastors from various regions will send kinds of support to allow them to leave and support families.

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IN NORAGUGUME THE FEAR OF THE RECOVERY OF THE FAIDA

There is fear in Noragugume where a crime, which took place on 2 September, rekindles fears of a resumption of the historic feud. The victim is Luigi Cherchi , a 67-year-old farmer. In the immediacy, the investigators found the gun used for the murder, perhaps lost by the killer on the run. During the funeral homily, the parish priest speaks of "forgiveness". Two brothers of the victim were killed in 1998 and another was convicted of murder.

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ANGELICA, KILLED BY HUSBAND IN QUARTUCCIU

In Quartucciu a quarrel between spouses on 9 September ends in tragedy. Angelica Salis , 60, is killed by her husband, the 67-year-old Paolo Randaccio. The couple has three children. It was the man himself, after the crime carried out with a stab in the neck and five in the chest, who called the carabinieri to tell what happened. Just a week earlier, the woman had run away from home to ask for help in a bar, claiming she was beaten. Her husband had chased her and an ambulance from 118 had arrived on the spot: the doctors had managed to restore calm between the spouses, who had returned to their apartment.

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ARRESTED IN ALGHERO CARLES PUIGDEMONT

On 23 September, the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was arrested in Alghero, where he had to participate in some events, as soon as he got off the plane on the basis of a European warrant issued by the Spanish authorities for crimes against order and public security. The measure triggers a wave of controversy across Europe. It will be released shortly after without any restrictions.

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THE KNOWN CHEF FOUND DEAD IN FRONT OF HIS LOCAL IN TEULADA

Alessio Madeddu, chef from Teulada known for his participation in Alessandro Borghese's “Four restaurants ” program, is found lifeless in front of his restaurant on October 28th. He was brutally killed by a murderous hand which, it will be discovered shortly after, is that of the baker Angelo Brancasi. According to the latter, the cook was having an affair with his wife. The two had a fight, then the betrayed husband was relentless on Madeddu, and finally he fled. He will confess everything to the investigators, including the motive.

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BAD WEATHER IN SARDINIA: A MAN CARRIED OUT BY THE CURRENT

A water bomb hits southern Sardinia on November 14 bringing death, flooding and landslides. The victim is Antonio Cinus, from Sant'Anna Arresi. Got out of his car, the 81-year-old was swept away. It took several hours of research to recover it, unfortunately lifeless, almost on the border with the Capo Teulada polygon.

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58 YEAR OLD FROM LOTZORAI DISAPPEARED MONTHS FOUND DEAD

On November 22, a man's body was found in a cistern in Talana, almost entirely covered by water. It is Mosè Cao , 58 years old from Lotzorai of whom there has been no news since September 18th. He was killed with a few shots. The body is unrecognizable and its identification is achieved through various elements including a tattoo.

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ACCIDENT AT Soddì POLYGON, DIES POLICEMAN

A shot accidentally left by a colleague who was cleaning his weapon kills Sergio Di Loreto on November 23 in Soddì. The 48-year-old assistant chief coordinator of the state police was in Sardinia for a refresher course. A mourning that affects the whole country, with many messages of pain and solidarity to his family.

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CARLOFORTE: TRAVOLTA AND KILLED BY A CAR WHILE JOGGING

A car in Carloforte overwhelms a woman who is jogging and flees. He does not stop to give her help, on the contrary he goes away quickly. Emanuela Mura thus died on November 28 in the locality of Giunco. The investor will present himself to the police in the afternoon explaining that he did not realize that he had hit the 41-year-old, but that he had thought of the collision against a wall after having skidded.

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CRASH IN CASTIADAS, TWO VICTIMS

Other crosses on the roads of Sardinia: along the provincial road in Castiadas, two cars and a van collide on 29 November. To lose their lives are Ambra Utzeri, 32 year old from Villasimius, who was driving the car, and Alex Massessi, 38 year old from Villaputzu at the wheel of the van. Two tragedies that unite two communities in the same pain.

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FEMINICIDE IN QUARTU, 50 YEARS OLD KILLED WITH KNIVES

In an apartment in via della Musica, in Quartu Sant'Elena, a woman was found lifeless on 13 December. Mihaela Kleics , 50 years old from Romania, was stabbed to death. It is his sister who sends the carabinieri to the scene because he had not been able to contact her for a few days. The investigations are triggered and they are directed immediately on the comrade, who is arrested shortly after. Sandro Sarais, 56, is found in the Solanas countryside with some injuries. Admitted to the Businco hospital, he will take his own life by throwing himself from a third floor window.

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END OF LATITANCE IN MESINA: "GRAZIANEDDU" CAPTURED IN DESULO

Blitz in the middle of the night on December 18 in Desulo. Graziano Mesina is arrested in a town house. The king of the Supramonte, unavailable since July 2020, was the guest of a couple . He slept dressed, perhaps ready to escape, and had 6 thousand euros in cash with him. The operation puts an end to his inaction and opens the doors of the Badu 'e Carros prison to him. The spouses who hosted him end up in trouble. The carabinieri carried out the blitz at 2:30 am, blowing up the front door. Mesina did not resist.

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THE HIKER DISAPPEARED IN CALA MARIOLU FOUND DEAD

The hiker Claudio Aresu, who died on 23 August while he was in the area of Cala Mariolu, is found lifeless in the mountains of Baunei on 19 December. It was a few miles from where he had parked his car. In recent months there have been numerous appeals launched by the family and someone had reported a man who looked like him while he was wandering, barefoot, in various areas of the island. The searches had proved unsuccessful.

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FIGHT IN MONSERRATO LEADS TO MURDER

On December 28, in Monserrato, in a house in Via Agricola, two men argue violently quarrel over issues related to the payment of a rent or a condominium dispute. Antonio Pisu, 79, is shot dead, one of which hits him in the chest. Immediately a 75-year-old is arrested.

THE GALLERY:

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The stages:

December 23 - 2021: sixteen images to tell the world

December 24 - Men who kill women: another year of femicides

December 25 - 2021 is the year of Italy: all the tricolor triumphs

December 27 - The long goodbye: those who left us in 2021

December 29 - The pandemic a year later, the months we will not forget

December 31 - The film of 2021: a year in three minutes