The charred body of an Italian sports journalist was found on a farm in the Italian town of Eboli, prompting an investigation into the strange circumstances surrounding his death.
Italian firefighters found the remains of Luigi “Luca” Esposito when they put out a fire in the community of Salerno on Sunday, July 19, local shops reported first. He was 53 years old.
The investigation continues after it was determined that Esposito appeared to have been severely beaten with injuries to his face, ribs and back. It is reported that bullet shells were found near his body and the authorities are investigating whether he was suffocated or strangled.
An official cause of death has not yet been determined.
Esposito was also found with his keys in his pocket and his car locked nearby, leading investigators to believe he had arrived at the location on purpose to meet someone — an idea that appears to be supported by surveillance video.
The video shows the reporter in his car, sitting idle for a few minutes, before he meets another person in the area. This happened a few hours before his body was found, according to La Città di Salernooh, where he works as a contributing reporter. The other man has not yet been identified and the authorities are looking for him, the newspaper reported.
An autopsy was performed on Tuesday, July 21, according to Mr La Repubblica.
Officials from the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Federation of European Journalists both called on authorities to investigate whether his death was related to his reporting.
“We are deeply shocked by the brutal killing of Italian sports journalist Luca Esposito,” CPJ's representative in Europe, Attila Mrsaid the statement. “The Italian authorities must act quickly and transparently to find out the full circumstances and determine if this terrible incident is related to the journalism of Luca Esposito.”
New details have emerged about the death of Gaby Sanarrucia Chavarría. Argentinian newspaper La Nación cited Costa Rican authorities and reported that Chavarría was shot dead on Saturday, July 4. He was 28 years old. The activist was lying next to her boyfriend at their home in La Cruz, Costa Rica, when she died. This is Chavarría's place […]
A veteran sports journalist, Esposito was the editor-in-chief of TuttoSalernitana.com, a soccer coverage outlet, and a TV commentator. This Republican reports that it is not believed that Esposito's work is related to his death.
“The investigators reject, at least for now, any connection between the crime and Esposito's work as a happy and transparent commentator on the affairs of Salernitana, Avellino, and other football teams,” the website wrote in Italian. “The Carabinieri are investigating leads that may be related to personal or secret motives.”
La Repubblica and predicted that Esposito's death may be related to what it called his “double life.” He allegedly told his friends that he worked for the Campania environmental protection agency, which he himself denied. He also said on Facebook that he works as an “official of the Campania Region,” but La Repubblica could not confirm.
