A mother has reportedly hanged her 14-year-old daughter and then herself after an argument with her husband in Sicily, leaving a chilling note for the distraught dad to discover when he got home.

Mariolina Nigrelli, 40, and her daughter Alessandra, 14, were found hanged by Maurizio Mollica, 40, in their country house in Santo Stefano di Camastra, in the Messina province in Sicily, in southern Italy.

Mariolina’s husband and Alessandra’s father, Maurizio Mollica, a local potter, known for his ceramics, found the lifeless bodies when he returned home to see what had happened after the victims did not answer multiple calls.

Mariolina Nigrelli left a note saying “I’m taking Alessandra away with me”, according to local newspaper La Notizia.

The distraught dad immediately reported the tragic incident to the local authorities. La Notizia also report that the distraught dad spent all night talking to investigators, crying, tearfully speaking about their “strained” relationship.

It is believed that what influenced the tragedy was a quarrel that broke out recently between the two married people.

The man confirmed that lately his relationship with his wife had become very tense, but this quarrel seemed to be common.

As for Alessandra, she had problems with her classmates and Mariolina, her mother, experienced these difficulties with great concern, so much so that she intervened several times in the context of her class and even got into arguments with other parents.

An autopsy is to be carried out on the bodies of Mariolina Nigrelli, 40, and her daughter, Alessandra Mollica, 14, who were found hanging in their country house in the Bed Santo district of Santo Stefano di Camastra, but investigators believe that it was a murder-suicide, although they have not yet ruled out other options.

The case is being overseen by Chief Prosecutor of Patti Angelo, Vittorio Cavallo, who went to the country house where the tragedy took place, and deputy Andrea Apollonio.

The investigation is ongoing.