A 31-stone murderer, who fatally stabbed his girlfriend 57 times following a dispute about leaving too many crumbs on the bed, has been released from prison because he is unable to adhere to his weight loss program in prison. The decision was based on a court ruling that the high-calorie diet provided in the facility could pose a serious health risk to him.
Dimitri Fricano, 35, from Biella, Italy, mercilessly killed Erika Preti, 25, during their vacation in Sardinia in 2017, stabbing Preti 57 times for leaving excessive crumbs in their hotel room bed. Fricano was sentenced to 30 years behind bars over the attack but will now be free.
Too Heavy for the Prison
In 2019, Fricano weighed 260 pounds when he received a 30-year sentence for a murder conviction. However, due to delays attributed to Covid, he did not start serving his sentence until April 2022.
Over the past year, the inmate's weight surged to over 440 pounds, prompting the Turin Surveillance Court to release Fricano from prison on medical grounds.
Last week, the court ruled that the obese convict cannot continue serving his sentence behind bars as he is deemed "incompatible with the prison regime." His excessive weight makes it challenging for him to move without a wheelchair or crutches. He is also a chain-smoker.
Fricano's imprisonment poses a threat to his life, as prison authorities are unable to supply the low-calorie diet required for weight loss, according to the judges.
Fricano will complete the remainder of his sentence under house arrest at his parents' home near Milan, where he can have access to a healthier diet.
The decision has sparked anger from the victim's family, who have criticized the release of Fricano as "shameful."
"No one will give me back my little girl. But for us, the pain is still too strong for him to be released so soon," Preti's father, Fabrizio Preti, told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. "It was like receiving a stab to the heart."
Murderer Roams Free
Fricano and Preti were on vacation in the town of San Teodoro on the island of Sardinia in June 2017 when a dispute erupted over Fricano's untidy eating habits. Fricano asserted that Erika had struck him with a paperweight, leading him to seize a knife and repeatedly stab her body dozens of times.
Initially, the man blamed his girlfriend's killing to robbers, but eventually, he confessed to his culpability.
"She insulted me for the bread and then hit me in the head, so I killed her," Fricano was quoted as telling the police.
Fricano's defense lawyers said that he suffers from various medical conditions, including anxiety-depressive bulimia syndrome, personality disorder, and sleep apnea.
Doctors expressed concern that Fricano is at a high risk of cardiovascular disease and requires a specialized diet that the prison in Turin cannot accommodate.
The judges at the Turin Surveillance Court concurred, determining that Fricano "requires assistance that cannot be provided in the institution."
