Missing Woman Found Dead and Teen Arrested After Seven-Day Search

What began as a seemingly innocent online connection ended in tragedy for 42-year-old Maria Campai, who was found dead after seven days of searching. Her body was discovered in the garden of an abandoned villa in Viadana, Italy, and just hours later, a 17-year-old boy was arrested, suspected of being responsible for her death.

Maria, originally from Romania, met the teenager online. He convinced her to visit him in his town of Viadana, where their fatal encounter took place. According to initial reports, the two had an intimate meeting at the boy’s home. However, for reasons still unclear, the encounter turned violent, and the teenager allegedly struck Maria on the head, inflicting fatal injuries. It is also suspected that he may have attempted to suffocate her. After the attack, the boy reportedly carried her body to the ruins of a villa, hoping it would go unnoticed.

Maria had been missing since Friday, September 20th, when she was last seen in Viadana. She had traveled to the town with a friend from Parma for what she believed to be a job interview with a man she had contacted online. Her friend, who drove her there, told investigators he did not know the identity of the man but had dropped her off in the center of town, expecting Maria to call for a ride back. But Maria never made that call, and by the following day, her family raised the alarm.

Authorities, with the help of molecular dogs, launched a search that eventually led to the tragic discovery of Maria’s body. The Carabinieri, along with the Investigative Unit of Mantua, quickly moved forward with their investigation, which culminated in the arrest of the 17-year-old boy.

In the days leading up to her disappearance, Maria had been living in Parma with her sister, after moving from Tuscany, where her ex-husband and two children still reside. Her sudden disappearance and the discovery of her body near where she had been dropped off prompted widespread media attention, including from the Rai program Chi l’ha visto, which had shared her case.

The investigation is still ongoing, with coroner Antonello Cirnelli tasked with determining whether the injuries sustained by Maria can be definitively linked to the boy’s alleged actions. What was meant to be a simple meeting turned into a deadly encounter, leaving Maria’s family and the community in shock as they await further answers.