Italian prosecutors have opened a murder investigation following the deaths of a mother and her teenage daughter after a pre-Christmas meal last year.
Sara Di Vita, 15, and her mother Antonella Di Ielsi, 50, fell ill after a lunch in their hometown of Pietracatella, a small municipality 260km (161 miles) south-east of Rome.
Sara's father Gianni - the former mayor of Pietracatella - was also taken to hospital, but he later recovered. The couple's eldest daughter was not there that day.
Initially, doctors attributed the symptoms to food poisoning, but the investigation shifted focus when laboratory tests revealed the presence of a deadly poison, ricin. Italian media have reported that law enforcement has yet to identify a suspect.
Doctors believed the infection stemmed from either fish or mushrooms, discharging the mother and daughter after their first hospital visit.
However, both women rapidly deteriorated and were subsequently readmitted. Dr. Vincenzo Cuzzone, head of the intensive care unit at Cardarelli hospital in Campobasso, described the case: “liver failure occurred first and was followed by multi-organ failure at truly unparalleled speed.”
Their deaths were initially labeled as medical negligence, leading to investigations against the doctors who discharged them.
The toxic ricin found is derived from castor beans and is extremely lethal; ingestion of a small amount can cause rapid organ failure and death, with no antidote available.
