The brutal murder of an Italian woman by the son of an African migrant has sent shockwaves across the country and reignited the debate about migration in Italy.
Moussa Sangare, 31, is accused of stabbing Sharon Verzeni to death while she was taking a late night stroll in the small town of Terno d'Isola, near the northern city of Bergamo, on July 29.
'I Saw Her and I Killed Her'
Police said Sangare, who was born in Milan to parents of African origin, confessed to the crime after he was arrested on Friday. However, he said he did not know the victim and had no apparent motive for the woman's murder.
"I had a sudden outburst," Sangare told police after his arrest, according to Italian media reports. "I can't explain why it happened, I saw her and I killed her."
Sangare, who was unemployed and described as an aspiring rapper, lived in Suisio, just 3 miles from the town where 33-year-old Ms Verzeni was killed.
Sangare Told Police He Left Home with Intention of Stabbing Anyone He Met
Sangare told police he left home on his bicycle about an hour before the murder, armed with a knife and with the intention of stabbing anyone he met. Before encountering Ms Verzeni, he said he had threatened two teens.
He told investigators he found Ms Verzeni staring at the stars, apologised for what he was about to do and stabbed her several times in the back while she repeatedly asked him "Why?"
It took authorities 30 days to track Sangare down following an intense investigation during which police took DNA samples from 40 residents and analysed footage from surveillance cameras in the town of 8,000 people in a bid to identify the killer.
