DNA Match Sees Robber, 78, Take Stand For Murder Of OAP Millionaire In 1997

A 78-year-old Italian man is on trial in Switzerland for killing an elderly millionaire widow in 1997 following a DNA match with another violent robbery he was recently jailed for.

The suspect, named only as Carlo F. due to strict local privacy laws, is on trial in the municipality of Meilen in the Swiss canton of Zurich for killing an 87-year-old millionaire, named only as E.C., in her villa in the Swiss municipality of Kusnacht 24 years ago.

At the crime scene, the Swiss police were able to secure DNA traces, but were unable to match them to any suspects and the investigation fizzled out, finally being suspended by the Zurich prosecutor’s office in 2001.

Carlo Alberto, a 73-year-old Italian citizen was arrested a for a violent robbery on a jewellery store in Switzerland in Arona, Spain, in July, 2017. (Guardia Civil/Newsflash)

However, the Italian suspect returned to Switzerland in November 2016 and carried out a robbery at a jewellery shop in the town of Thun in the Swiss canton of Bern where DNA traces were also secured by the police.

During the robbery, for which he was later convicted, he threatened the shop owners with a fake gun and forced them to hand over jewellery worth CHF 100,000 (GBP 81,008).

He also reportedly forced their underage daughter to perform oral sex on him.

The police sketch picture of the jewellery store robber from Switzerland, in October, 2016. (Kantonspolizei Bern/Newsflash)

The DNA traces at the Kusnacht and Thun crime scenes matched and the suspect was later identified as Carlo F.

He was arrested in the municipality of Arona in Tenerife, Spain, in 2017 and was extradited to Switzerland to face charges for the Thun robbery.

In 2018, he was sentenced to seven years in prison in the Swiss canton of Bern for multiple robberies, deprivation of liberty, hostage-taking, and sexual assault, among other charges.

The police picture of the jewellery robber from Balliz, Switzerland, in 2016. (Kantonspolizei Bern/Newsflash)

Currently behind bars, Carlo F. is now standing trial for the 1997 murder of the elderly millionaire.

According to the indictment, Carlo F. broke into the woman’s villa to steal money and valuables. However, he encountered the owner of the house and beat her, leaving her on the floor with broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and other injuries.

Prosecutors said it took over an hour for the elderly woman to eventually die of acute heart failure.

The van of Carlo Alberto, a 73-year-old Italian citizen was arrested a for a violent robbery on a jewellery store in Switzerland, in October, 2016. (Guardia Civil/Newsflash)

The prosecution is calling for the defendant to be jailed for 11 years for the woman’s murder in addition to the seven years he is currently serving.