New investigations into the death of Judge Francesca Ercolini: the murder hypothesis and the neck fracture confirmed by the second autopsy

The death of Judge Francesca Ercolini has been reopened with homicide as the leading theory after a second autopsy confirmed a neck fracture consistent with strangulation. Ercolini, who was fifty-one years old at the time of her death, served as president of the civil section of the Ancona court. She lived in Pesaro with her husband, Lorenzo Ruggeri, and their son. Her body was discovered on December 26, 2022, in her apartment. Initially, authorities closed the case as suicide based on reports that she had hanged herself using a scarf around the stair railing. However, the investigation was restarted following persistent doubts raised by Ercolini’s mother, Carmela Fusco. Ruggeri and a police officer friend found the judge lifeless during the initial discovery. While the son initially described a string used by his mother, emergency responders arrived to find the body lying on the floor, contradicting the family's account. The first medical examination supported the suicide hypothesis. That conclusion was later challenged when forensic evidence suggested signs of struggle, including bruises on the victim's body. The case was formally reopened, and Ruggeri became a suspect for homicide, obstruction of justice, ideological falsehood, and violation of investigative secrecy. He is not alone among those under investigation. The police officer present at the scene, the doctor who performed the initial autopsy, and four law enforcement officials have also been charged. Forensic expert Vittorio Fineschi conducted the second autopsy after the body was exhumed. This review included CT scans, microscopic examinations, and laboratory tests that were omitted previously. Fineschi determined that the mark on Ercolini's neck could not have been caused by a scarf alone. Instead, he identified a fracture likely inflicted by a rope, cable, or ligature. Investigators believe the weapon might have been the electrical cord from one of two lamps in the apartment, which have since been seized by the scientific police institute. Military personnel reconstructed the scene using a dummy matching Ercolini's height. Despite this simulation, questions remain regarding how the judge maintained balance long enough to wrap a scarf around her neck. The new evidentiary proceedings have concluded. Reports from the scientific police institute and the forensic pathologist are scheduled for submission on November 5. A hearing for the confrontation between parties will take place on November 20. Only the final expert assessment will determine whether the death was a suicide or a murder, a distinction currently favored by the Aquila prosecutor's office. The investigation continues to weigh these conflicting narratives against the physical evidence gathered during the recent examinations.