Overview
- Police in San Severo and Foggia arrested 48-year-old Ciro Caliendo on February 23, 2026 on a charge of premeditated murder in the 2024 death of his wife, 47-year-old Lucia Salcone.
- Investigators allege he stunned her with blows to the head and then set the car alight while she was alive, an assertion they say is supported by autopsy findings of carbon monoxide in her lungs.
- Forensic work cites traces of flammable liquid inside the Fiat 500, a long gasoline trail to a tree, an impact speed estimated near 10 km/h deemed incompatible with such a blaze, and the fact the car was diesel as rescuers reported he smelled of fuel.
- Surveillance reviews and technical consultancy reportedly exposed contradictions with his account of a head‑on encounter that forced the vehicle off the road.
- A letter written days before the death describing love for another woman and a wish to “free” himself is cited as evidence of intent, with prosecutors pointing to a mix of romantic and economic motives as the case moves into court under the presumption of innocence.