An autopsy has confirmed that Italian sports journalist Luigi Esposito was beaten, shot and then set ablaze after his charred remains were discovered near Eboli in southern Italy on 19 July. The post-mortem examination revealed multiple fractures across the 53-year-old's body and a disfigured face, consistent with a violent assault before he was doused in accelerant and burned.
Investigators are focusing on Esposito's final phone call to a fellow journalist at around 22:30 and a planned meeting with an acquaintance in the countryside. Carabinieri divers searched a nearby waterway for evidence, while shell casings and the victim's car were recovered close to the scene. Esposito had not been seen since the evening of 17 July.
Authorities have ruled out any link to organised crime or to his professional activities. The International Federation of Journalists and the European Federation of Journalists have demanded a thorough investigation into the killing.