Giuliano Mignini
Encyclopedia
Giuliano Mignini is a public prosecutor in Perugia
, Italy, who came to widespread public attention for his role in investigating the murder of Meredith Kercher
in November 2007, and for his subsequent prosecution for murder of Amanda Knox
and Raffaele Sollecito, whose convictions were overturned in October 2011.
He is also known for his involvement as the prosecutor in a case of a serial killer in the 1980s that came to be known as the
"Monster of Florence
," and for the investigation of the apparent suicide of Dr. Francesco Narducci in 1985, which Mignini saw as linked to the murders. In both the Narducci case and the Kercher cases, Mignini put forward the motive of satanism
. In the Narducci case, twenty people were indicted with concealment of the murder of Narducci. The charges were dismissed, as were Mignini's charges that Amanda Knox was "demonically motivated" to murder Kercher.
, where he served as investigator and prosecutor, before returning to Perugia. As of 2011, he serves there as a substitute prosecutor (sostituto procuratore).
, Italy between 1968 and 1985 were known as the Monster of Florence
murders. At different points in time, four different people were tried and convicted for the crimes (and subsequently released in most cases). Newspaper critics have expressed the view that the true killer (or killers) have never been identified by the police .
Mignini was involved in the investigation of the apparently unconnected death of Dr. Francesco Narducci who was found dead near a lake outside of Perugia, Italy, in 1985. The doctor died of an overdose of Demerol in an apparent suicide. In 2001, Mignini, believing the death to be associated with the Monster of Florence
murders claimed that Narducci was a member of a satanic sect that killed women for body parts to be used in black masses. Mignini's theory involved an elaborate conspiracy of 20 people, including government officials and law enforcement officers. Mignini indicted 20 people and charged them with the concealment of Narducci's murder. The charges were eventually dismissed.
In April 2006 Mignini had Italian journalist Mario Spezi
arrested for complicity in the homicides of the Monster of Florence case and interfering with an investigation. Spezi was held for 23 days, 5 without a lawyer.
The theory Mignini and fellow prosecutor Manuela Comodi first put forward for the motive in the murder involved a Satanic ritual
orgy
, similar to the charges of belonging to a Satanic sect that Mignini had unsuccessfully leveled at 20 others in the Monster of Florence
case. The prosecution also posited it may have been a "cult sacrifice". Mignini denied ever saying that Kercher was the victim of a "sacrificial rite". Later, the prosecution hypothesised that Kercher's murder involved a sex game gone wrong, or that the victim had refused to participate in an orgy, or that Knox was motivated by "jealousy". Defenders of Mignini have pointed to the fact that some of his conclusions regarding the Murder of Meredith Kercher
have been validated by pre-trial, trial and appeal judges, including the Court of Cassation
, which concluded that Rudy Guede was not the sole perpetrator of the murder.
On 19 April 2011 the Committee to Protect Journalists
sent a letter to Giorgio Napolitano
, President of the Italian Republic, complaining about abuse of journalists by Mignini, including Spezi and Perugia
blogger Frank Sfarzo, who had been writing a blog about the Murder of Meredith Kercher
case.
CNN
correspondent Drew Griffin
interviewed Mignini for the show CNN Presents: Murder Abroad: The Case of Amanda Knox, in May 2011.
Shortly before the acquittal of Amanda Knox
for murder, Mignini told a reporter from the British newspaper, The Guardian , "I have felt under attack ever since I investigated Narducci. It all started there." He further suggested that the conviction for abuse of power was related to persecution for his role in the Monster of Florence
case. and blamed American author Douglas Preston
, co-author with Spezi of a book about the case, of masterminding a U.S. press campaign against him over the Knox case. In summing up the Knox appeal he said "our judicial system has been subjected to a systematic denigration by a well-organised operation of a journalistic and political nature".
Douglas Preston has criticized the conduct of Italian prosecutor Giuliano Mignini
in the trial of American student Amanda Knox, one of three convicted of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher
in Perugia
in 2007. In April 2009, Preston appeared in a segment of 48 Hours
on CBS
, in which he argued that the case against Knox was "based on lies, superstition, and crazy conspiracy theories". In December 2009, after the verdict had been announced, he appeared on Anderson Cooper 360°
on CNN
and described his own interrogation by Mignini. Preston said of Mignini, "this is a very abusive prosecutor. He makes up theories. He's obsessed with satanic sects."
who was arrested and held without bail for 11 days after being charged with exhibitionism in the presence of minors; this followed the surfacing of mobile phone video showing 15-year-old boys touching her while she performed as a stripper in an Umbria
night club. The charges brought against her come with a prison sentense of 6-10 years. Bulgari was acquitted in October 2011 and stated that she was "just trying to make a living" and that she "felt like Amanda Knox", pointing out that their two cases involved the same prosecutor. She also said that she would seek monetary damages against Mignini for "muddying her name" and planned to write a book about her experiences in prison and that she was giving up her work as a porn actress to become a DJ.
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
, Italy, who came to widespread public attention for his role in investigating the murder of Meredith Kercher
Murder of Meredith Kercher
The murder of Meredith Kercher occurred in Perugia, Italy, on 1 November 2007. Kercher, aged 21 at the time of her death, was a British university exchange student from Coulsdon, south London. She was found dead on the floor of her bedroom with stab wounds to the throat...
in November 2007, and for his subsequent prosecution for murder of Amanda Knox
Amanda Knox
Amanda Marie Knox is an American woman who was accused of the murder of Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Umbria, Italy. She served 4 years of a 26-year sentence before the murder conviction was overturned on October 3, 2011. Raffaele Sollecito, Knox's boyfriend at the time of the murder, was also...
and Raffaele Sollecito, whose convictions were overturned in October 2011.
He is also known for his involvement as the prosecutor in a case of a serial killer in the 1980s that came to be known as the
"Monster of Florence
Monster of Florence
The Monster of Florence, also known as Il Mostro, is an epithet commonly used for the perpetrator, or the perpetrators, of 16 murders that took place between 1968 and 1985 in the province of Florence, Italy...
," and for the investigation of the apparent suicide of Dr. Francesco Narducci in 1985, which Mignini saw as linked to the murders. In both the Narducci case and the Kercher cases, Mignini put forward the motive of satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
. In the Narducci case, twenty people were indicted with concealment of the murder of Narducci. The charges were dismissed, as were Mignini's charges that Amanda Knox was "demonically motivated" to murder Kercher.
Education and career
Mignini obtained his law degree from the University of Perugia. He passed the magistrate's examination in 1979, and worked for one year in VolterraVolterra
Volterra, known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri, to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy.-History:...
, where he served as investigator and prosecutor, before returning to Perugia. As of 2011, he serves there as a substitute prosecutor (sostituto procuratore).
Monster of Florence
A series of murders that took place around FlorenceFlorence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy between 1968 and 1985 were known as the Monster of Florence
Monster of Florence
The Monster of Florence, also known as Il Mostro, is an epithet commonly used for the perpetrator, or the perpetrators, of 16 murders that took place between 1968 and 1985 in the province of Florence, Italy...
murders. At different points in time, four different people were tried and convicted for the crimes (and subsequently released in most cases). Newspaper critics have expressed the view that the true killer (or killers) have never been identified by the police .
Mignini was involved in the investigation of the apparently unconnected death of Dr. Francesco Narducci who was found dead near a lake outside of Perugia, Italy, in 1985. The doctor died of an overdose of Demerol in an apparent suicide. In 2001, Mignini, believing the death to be associated with the Monster of Florence
Monster of Florence
The Monster of Florence, also known as Il Mostro, is an epithet commonly used for the perpetrator, or the perpetrators, of 16 murders that took place between 1968 and 1985 in the province of Florence, Italy...
murders claimed that Narducci was a member of a satanic sect that killed women for body parts to be used in black masses. Mignini's theory involved an elaborate conspiracy of 20 people, including government officials and law enforcement officers. Mignini indicted 20 people and charged them with the concealment of Narducci's murder. The charges were eventually dismissed.
In April 2006 Mignini had Italian journalist Mario Spezi
Mario Spezi
Mario Spezi is an award-winning Italian journalist and author. He wrote the non-fiction, true crime book, The Monster of Florence with American author Douglas Preston...
arrested for complicity in the homicides of the Monster of Florence case and interfering with an investigation. Spezi was held for 23 days, 5 without a lawyer.
Allegations of abuse of office
In 2006, Mignini was charged with abuse of office for ordering the illegal wiretapping of the phones of various police officers and journalists involved in the Monster of Florence case. In January 2010, a Florence court found him guilty of exceeding the powers of his office but acquitted of the remaining charges. He was given a 16 month suspended sentence. Mignini appealed the conviction, saying "My conscience is clear, I know I did nothing wrong." He remained in office through the appeal process, as Italian law does not consider convictions final until all appeals are exhausted. In November 2011 the Court of Appeal in Florence overturned Mignini's conviction for lack of jurisdiction and referred the case to the prosecutor in Turin to decide whether to re-file the charges. According to Rome-based journalist and author Barbie Latza Nadeau, even if Mignini were convicted, minor offenses such as this are rarely grounds for removing a prosecutor from office.Murder of Meredith Kercher
Meredith Kercher was a young woman murdered in Perugia on 1 November 2007. Mignini was lead prosecutor and directed the investigation of the case.The theory Mignini and fellow prosecutor Manuela Comodi first put forward for the motive in the murder involved a Satanic ritual
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
orgy
Orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
, similar to the charges of belonging to a Satanic sect that Mignini had unsuccessfully leveled at 20 others in the Monster of Florence
Monster of Florence
The Monster of Florence, also known as Il Mostro, is an epithet commonly used for the perpetrator, or the perpetrators, of 16 murders that took place between 1968 and 1985 in the province of Florence, Italy...
case. The prosecution also posited it may have been a "cult sacrifice". Mignini denied ever saying that Kercher was the victim of a "sacrificial rite". Later, the prosecution hypothesised that Kercher's murder involved a sex game gone wrong, or that the victim had refused to participate in an orgy, or that Knox was motivated by "jealousy". Defenders of Mignini have pointed to the fact that some of his conclusions regarding the Murder of Meredith Kercher
Murder of Meredith Kercher
The murder of Meredith Kercher occurred in Perugia, Italy, on 1 November 2007. Kercher, aged 21 at the time of her death, was a British university exchange student from Coulsdon, south London. She was found dead on the floor of her bedroom with stab wounds to the throat...
have been validated by pre-trial, trial and appeal judges, including the Court of Cassation
Court of Cassation (Italy)
The Supreme Court of Cassation is the major court of last resort in Italy. It has its seat in the Rome Hall of Justice.The Court of Cassation exists also to “ensure the observation and the correct interpretation of law” by ensuring the same application of law in the inferior and appeal courts...
, which concluded that Rudy Guede was not the sole perpetrator of the murder.
On 19 April 2011 the Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
sent a letter to Giorgio Napolitano
Giorgio Napolitano
Giorgio Napolitano is an Italian politician who has been the 11th President of Italy since 2006. A long-time member of the Italian Communist Party and later the Democrats of the Left, he served as President of the Chamber of Deputies from 1992 to 1994 and as Minister of the Interior from 1996 to...
, President of the Italian Republic, complaining about abuse of journalists by Mignini, including Spezi and Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
blogger Frank Sfarzo, who had been writing a blog about the Murder of Meredith Kercher
Murder of Meredith Kercher
The murder of Meredith Kercher occurred in Perugia, Italy, on 1 November 2007. Kercher, aged 21 at the time of her death, was a British university exchange student from Coulsdon, south London. She was found dead on the floor of her bedroom with stab wounds to the throat...
case.
CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
correspondent Drew Griffin
Drew Griffin
Drew Griffin is a reporter on the American cable news channel CNN.-Career:Griffin worked as an investigative reporter for CBS 2 News in Los Angeles for 10 years. He joined CNN in May 2004. In September 2005, Griffin covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Griffin's reports about the looting by...
interviewed Mignini for the show CNN Presents: Murder Abroad: The Case of Amanda Knox, in May 2011.
Shortly before the acquittal of Amanda Knox
Amanda Knox
Amanda Marie Knox is an American woman who was accused of the murder of Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Umbria, Italy. She served 4 years of a 26-year sentence before the murder conviction was overturned on October 3, 2011. Raffaele Sollecito, Knox's boyfriend at the time of the murder, was also...
for murder, Mignini told a reporter from the British newspaper, The Guardian , "I have felt under attack ever since I investigated Narducci. It all started there." He further suggested that the conviction for abuse of power was related to persecution for his role in the Monster of Florence
Monster of Florence
The Monster of Florence, also known as Il Mostro, is an epithet commonly used for the perpetrator, or the perpetrators, of 16 murders that took place between 1968 and 1985 in the province of Florence, Italy...
case. and blamed American author Douglas Preston
Douglas Preston
Douglas Preston is an American author who has written seventeen popular techno-thriller and horror novels, four alone and the rest with Lincoln Child...
, co-author with Spezi of a book about the case, of masterminding a U.S. press campaign against him over the Knox case. In summing up the Knox appeal he said "our judicial system has been subjected to a systematic denigration by a well-organised operation of a journalistic and political nature".
Douglas Preston has criticized the conduct of Italian prosecutor Giuliano Mignini
Giuliano Mignini
Giuliano Mignini is a public prosecutor in Perugia, Italy, who came to widespread public attention for his role in investigating the murder of Meredith Kercher in November 2007, and for his subsequent prosecution for murder of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, whose convictions were overturned...
in the trial of American student Amanda Knox, one of three convicted of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher
Murder of Meredith Kercher
The murder of Meredith Kercher occurred in Perugia, Italy, on 1 November 2007. Kercher, aged 21 at the time of her death, was a British university exchange student from Coulsdon, south London. She was found dead on the floor of her bedroom with stab wounds to the throat...
in Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
in 2007. In April 2009, Preston appeared in a segment of 48 Hours
48 Hours (TV series)
48 Hours is a documentary and news program broadcast on the CBS television network since January 19, 1988. The program originally presented documentaries of various events related to a particular subject occurring within a 48-hour period, and is credited as one of the first to air a "reality show"...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, in which he argued that the case against Knox was "based on lies, superstition, and crazy conspiracy theories". In December 2009, after the verdict had been announced, he appeared on Anderson Cooper 360°
Anderson Cooper 360°
Anderson Cooper 360° is a one-hour television news show on CNN, hosted by the American journalist Anderson Cooper. It is also broadcast around the world on CNN International....
on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and described his own interrogation by Mignini. Preston said of Mignini, "this is a very abusive prosecutor. He makes up theories. He's obsessed with satanic sects."
Brigitta Bulgari
In June 2010 Mignini was the prosecutor involved in the case of porn star Brigitta BulgariBrigitta Bulgari
Brigitta Bulgari , is a Hungarian pornographic actress and fashion model.-Biography:Bulgari grew up athletic, competing in triathlons from age 15 to 19. She started modeling during her first year of college, where she was studying to become a lawyer...
who was arrested and held without bail for 11 days after being charged with exhibitionism in the presence of minors; this followed the surfacing of mobile phone video showing 15-year-old boys touching her while she performed as a stripper in an Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
night club. The charges brought against her come with a prison sentense of 6-10 years. Bulgari was acquitted in October 2011 and stated that she was "just trying to make a living" and that she "felt like Amanda Knox", pointing out that their two cases involved the same prosecutor. She also said that she would seek monetary damages against Mignini for "muddying her name" and planned to write a book about her experiences in prison and that she was giving up her work as a porn actress to become a DJ.