CASTELFRANCO. It had to be an absolutely normal day for Serena Fasan, her partner Matteo Piva and little Ettore, that Wednesday 25th August. No one could have imagined that in the late afternoon it would turn into a tragedy. Indeed in a double tragedy: because the Fasan family not only mourns Serena, but also uncle Simone who would have taken his own life in the evening.
Ore 8.30. Serena works in the Alla Fonte della Salute pharmacy at the Giorgione shopping center in via Valsugana, almost equidistant between the house where she lives in via Ponchini and that of her parents in via Roana. He has been working here for eleven years: after the birth of Ettore, who is now two years old, he opted for part time, waiting for him to attend kindergarten. The child that day, as in the other days, is with his father Matteo.
By managing the Ai Do Gati club in via Filzi, in the center of Castelfranco, his business begins in the afternoon and can therefore devote himself to him. In the case, however, there are the grandparents Francesco and Laura, the parents of Serena.
Ore 12.30. Serena returns home and has lunch with her husband and little son. There is no sign of anything that is wrong with his health. After all, he never had any particular ailments. After lunch, the two parents stay with the baby at home. Normally, he goes to sleep later, until 5 pm. But it happens that he falls asleep later and therefore also wakes up after this time. Ore 15. Matteo Piva leaves the house: before opening the restaurant he has to carry out some errands in relation to his profession, which will take him to different places in the Castellana. Say hello to Serena: unfortunately he cannot imagine that it will be the last time he will see her alive.
Ore 16.40. Serena’s dad, Francesco, tries to call her on her cell phone. Probably his intention is to be able to know if he could pick up his grandson to go away together, for a walk or to the park. This too is a routine thing.
But Serena’s phone rings empty. At the moment this is not a cause for concern: it could be that Serena silenced him so as not to disturb the baby’s sleep and perhaps to rest too. It had happened before. Or that he forgot it in the car parked outside the apartment in via Ponchini.
Ore 16.40-18. Between 4.40pm and 6pm. The father tries several times to call his daughter but she doesn’t answer. As time passes, the concern grows more and more. It is not like her not to call back. But it can always happen that the little one is still sleeping. At one point Francesco warns Matteo Piva to tell him about this oddity. The partner also tries to call Serena. Then, getting no answer (apparently he was near the house) he decides to go directly to her.
Also in this lapse of time, some tenants of the condominium in via Ponchini passing in front of Serena’s apartment, would have heard, not really a cry that would have certainly raised alarm, but more a lament with the word “help”. They linger for a moment at the entrance but no longer hear any noise, not even the crying baby. And they probably think it’s a noise coming from the TV.
Ore 18.30. When Matteo enters the house he finds Serena lifeless, he pours the mobile phone on the floor in the living room near the sofa. He immediately tries to revive her, but unfortunately nothing happens. At this point, call 911. The child is still sleeping.
Ore 18.40. The medical staff arrives and begins to practice the maneuvers necessary to try to resuscitate the woman. The carabinieri are also alerted for what is called a suspicious death that would require the intervention of the police, as could also be a suicide. The carabinieri immediately mobilized: the doctors, however, can only ascertain that the woman is dead.
The woman has two marks on her neck: a detail that leaves all hypotheses open. The apartment has no signs of forced entry, everything is in order. From that moment it will be manned until after midnight. In addition to the military coordinated by the commander of the Castelfranco company Enrico Zampolli for the reliefs and the provincial commander Gianfilippo Magro, also the coroner Alberto Furlanetto and the prosecutor Mara De Donà.
The first hypothesis is that Serena was hit by an illness but also by an epileptic attack, as evidenced by the rigidity of the mouth, practically closed. But there are also those two signs. The next day the time of death is set for 6pm on Wednesday.
Ore 20. The news of the death has already reached Salvarosa where the grandmother Assunta and the uncles of Serena, Francesco’s brothers, live. Uncle Simone attempts to commit suicide by hanging himself in the garage of the house on Via Busa. A brother intervenes to block the insane gesture.
Ore 22. A brother of Simone Fasan raises the alarm saying that the man has disappeared. Given the precedent, the searches by the carabinieri begin immediately, who check the video surveillance gates and mobile phone cells.
From these we learn that the man’s car is near the Crespano bridge.
Ore 03.00 Simone’s body is found.