About this episode
Explore the terrifying true story of the Monster of Florence, a serial killer who haunted Italy for 17 years and the chaotic investigation that followed.[INTRO]ALEX: Imagine you’re a tourist in the 1980s, camping under the stars in the beautiful hills of Tuscany, only to have a killer slice through your tent and later mail a piece of your own tissue to the police as a taunt.JORDAN: Wait, that sounds like a Hollywood slasher flick, not a trip to Florence. Is this a real person or an urban legend?ALEX: He was very real, Jordan. Known as the Monster of Florence, he carried out sixteen murders over seventeen years, and the most chilling part isn't just the crimes—it’s that after decades of trials, many people believe the real killer never spent a day in jail.JORDAN: So we’re talking about a ghost story where the police might have caught the wrong guys? Let’s get into it.[CHAPTER 1 - Origin]ALEX: The nightmare officially began in the summer of 1968 in a small town called Signa. A couple, Barbara Locci and Antonio Lo Bianco, were shot to death while sitting in their car.JORDAN: Okay, tragic, but was it a serial killer event or just a targeted hit? ALEX: At the time, everyone thought it was a simple crime of passion because Barbara’s husband, Stefano Mele, confessed to the murder. He was a local man with a clear motive, he was convicted, and the case was closed.JORDAN: Case closed, end of story? That doesn't sound like a 'Monster' saga.ALEX: That’s because six years later, while Stefano Mele was still sitting in a prison cell, another couple was murdered in nearly the exact same way. They were in a car, shot with a .22 caliber Beretta pistol, but this time the killer added a gruesome signature—he mutilated the female victim with surgical precision.JORDAN: So the police realize they have the wrong guy in jail, or a copycat is on the loose. What was going on in Italy back then?ALEX: It was a time of immense social change, but the Tuscan countryside was still very traditional and secluded. These 'lovers' lanes' were the only places young couples could find privacy, making them the perfect, vulnerable targets for someone watching from the shadows.[CHAPTER 2 - Core Story]ALEX: Between 1974 and 1985, the Monster struck six more times, always targeting couples in cars or tents. Each crime scene was more brazen than the last, and the killer became famous for taking 'trophies' from the female victims.JORDAN: If he's using the same gun every time, why couldn't the police just track the weapon?ALEX: They tried, but the investigation was a total disaster. The Italian State Police and the Carabinieri—the military police—actually refused to share information with each other because of a bitter institutional rivalry.JORDAN: You’re telling me ego got in the way of catching a serial killer who was mutilating people? That's infuriating.A
