The suspect, reported to be an unemployed nurse in his mid-fifties, reportedly presented himself at the town hall in Borgo Virgilio, near Mantova, on November 11, claiming to be his mother, Graziella Dall’Oglio. He requested the renewal of her identity card, which had expired a decade earlier. Dall’Oglio, who would have been 85, had not been seen by locals for years.
Wearing a colourful blouse and long skirt, a pearl necklace, earrings, light make-up and painted nails, he also sported a brown bob hairstyle. Staff quickly grew suspicious. The photo on the expired ID did not match the person in front of them, who appeared far younger than the stated age.
Mayor Francesco Aporti told Corriere della Sera: “That neck, on closer inspection, was a little too thick and the wrinkles were strange. The skin on her hands didn’t look like that of an 85-year-old, and her voice, although feminine, occasionally slipped into a masculine tone.”
Officials asked him to return later to collect the renewed card and alerted police. CCTV footage revealed he had arrived by car, despite his mother not holding a driving licence. Interviews with local residents confirmed that Dall’Oglio had not been seen for years.
When the man returned eight days later, staff directed him to the police station, where his true identity was uncovered. Police then visited his home and discovered his mother’s corpse wrapped in bedsheets and covered with two sleeping bags. Reports described the body as “mummified,” with some media suggesting she may have died as long as three years ago.
Authorities allege the man continued to collect both his mother’s personal pension and the pension she had received since the death of her husband, a retired doctor, totaling €53,000 a year. Despite this, Mayor Aporti said the family did not face financial hardship: “We found real estate in both their names: three houses and some land.”
The man is now under investigation for concealing a corpse, defrauding the state, impersonation, and forging public documents. An autopsy will determine the cause and timing of his mother’s death, including whether it was natural or the result of foul play.
