Murder of Mario Cerciello Rega
Mario Cerciello Rega was an Italian police officer. He was murdered on 26 July 2019 by two American students visiting Rome. Deputy Brigadier Rega, age 35, was a member of the Carabinieri, Italy's national military police force. He was stabbed to death as he investigated a drug deal. Carabinieri Officer Andrea Varriale, Rega's police partner, was injured. In May 2021, two American students from California were found guilty of the murder. Finnegan Lee Elder, age 19 at the time of the crime, and Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth, age 18, were each sentenced to  life in prison. Perpetrators. Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth became friends while attending Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California. Elder had previously attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco, California, but was asked to leave after an altercation with another student. Killing. On the night of 25 July, Elder and Natale—Hjorth went to the Trastevere district to buy cocaine. Only Natale-Hjorth could speak Italian. When they realized that the pusher had sold them crushed aspirin, they stole a backpack from Brugiatelli, who had led them to the dealer. Brugiatelli borrowed a phone and  called his own number. The two young men answered, telling him that if he wanted his backpack back, he would have to bring them 100 euros and a gram of cocaine. Brugiatelli called the Carabinieri, telling them he needed his backpack back because it contained his documents. The Carabinieri sent two officers, who went unarmed and in plain street clothes to meet the two men, while Brugiatelli waited nearby. At the meetingplace, Elder stabbed Rega 11 times. The two Americans immediately went back to their hotel, a block away.