Lecce, referee killed: the girlfriend would have called the killer by name

• Lecce, stabbed to death with the referee girlfriend Daniele de Santis

• Double murder in Lecce, a man and a woman killed

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23 September 2020 The killer in via Montello could have the hours numbered.

Investigators would be on the trail of the man who last night stabbed the Pro football referee, Daniele De Santis, 33, and his girlfriend, Eleonora Manta, 30. The crime took place in the condominium in where the victims lived, in via Montello 2.

Killing the two boyfriends, who had decided to live together and start a family, was allegedly a man wearing a black sweatshirt with a hood pulled down over his head, black gloves and a yellow backpack on his shoulders.

Some witnesses, already heard by the carabinieri, saw him flee the building while holding a bloody knife.

One would have said to have heard Eleonora scream the name of a man indicating perhaps in this way the probable killer, or, more simply, the name of a person to whom he was desperately asking for help.

Then the blows would start.

The most likely hypothesis is that the two victims knew their killer, to whom they opened the door while they were having dinner.

Daniele wore shorts and slippers.

 On the motive, the investigators are not unbalanced and neither confirm nor deny the hypothesis that it may be a crime of passion.

The feeling, however, is that the investigators are following a concrete lead.

The dynamics of the facts should also be clear.

The last to be killed, on the stairs to the first floor of the condominium, would have been Daniele, perhaps while trying to escape the savagery of the murderer.

Daniele at the end of this football season dreamed of refereeing in Serie B and establishing himself as a condominium administrator.

In fact, he managed the condominium where he lived and where he had decided to live with his 'Elly'.

His girlfriend, on the other hand, originally from Seclì, graduated in law and newly hired at INPS, would have been killed first on the landing of the house with numerous blows.

 After completing his mission, the killer would have fled down the stairs and would have taken via Martiri d'Otranto making him lose track.

Now he expects the examination of the surveillance camera files in the area in order to consolidate the clues collected by the investigators, based mainly on the statements of the witnesses and on some trace left.

What is certain is that it was not a crime of impetus, but a premeditated murder because the killer acted with his face covered, he wore gloves and had with him a knife that the investigators are looking for.  

The world of football is in shock for the double murder.

"No words can describe the pain of the Lega Pro, its leaders, the clubs, the players and our football for the premature death of the referee Daniele De Santis and his partner Eleonora - says the president of the Lega Pro, Francesco Ghirelli - . Violence destroys, violence has torn two young lives that harbored dreams and expectations. Violence is enemy number 1 to be opposed in all its forms ".