It was established there Court of Assizes of Appeal of Bari which he sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment Domenico Contebelieved to be the instigator of the crime in which, on 30 December 2017, the woman was killed, and with the same punishment Alessandro D’Elia, who according to the prosecution had brought the boss’s message to the hitmen. The judges have redetermined the sentences of the two perpetrators of the crime, Rocco Papaleo and Michele Sabbaconfessed criminals and collaborators of justice, reducing sentences from 13 years and 8 months to 10 years.
According to the investigations of the agents of the Flying Squad from the Bari Police Headquarters and gods Carabinieri of the Investigative Unitcoordinated by anti-mafia prosecutors Ettore Cardinali and Marco D’Agostino, at the origin of the violent clash between the Cipriano and Conte groups was the management of drug dealing squares. That morning the old woman accidentally ended up in the path of two of the 17 gunshots exploded in the alleys of the historic center, innocent victims of the ongoing war between the rival groups of Bitonto.
The fiery morning began with the first ambush by Cosimo Liso of the Conte clan. Then there was the response with two punitive expeditions of Francesco Colasuonno, Benito Ruggiero and Rocco Mena of the Cipriano clan. Then the reaction with the boss Domenico Conte who would have given the order to kill, Alessandro D’Elia who would give the message and two men, Michele Sabba and Rocco Papaleowho, chasing Giuseppe Casadibari (collaborator of justice), killed the elderly Tarantino.
The sentences for that crime have become final Cosimo Liso (20 years), Francesco Colasuonno and Rocco Mena (4 years), Benito Ruggiero (4 years and 6 months) And Michele Rizzo (2 years). For four other defendants (Conte, D’Elia, Papaleo and Sabba) the Cassation had annulled the convictions with postponement, but the new appeal process confirmed that it was Conte who sent the order to shoot that morning, having the message delivered to the killers via his right-hand man D’Elia.
The judges, who ordered an expert opinion on the telephone records and cameras of the boss’s home, confirmed the sentences for compensation for damages against the civil parties, the elderly woman’s family, the Municipality of Bitonto and also the Antiracket. The reasons for the sentence will be filed within 90 days.
