The charred body of an Italian sports journalist was discovered on a rural farm in the town of Eboli, Italy, kickstarting an investigation into the strange circumstances around his death.
Italian firefighters found the remains of Luigi “Luca” Esposito while extinguishing a fire in the Salerno community on Sunday, July 19, local outlets first reported. He was 53.
An investigation is underway after discovering that Esposito appeared to have been badly beaten with injuries to his face, ribs and pelvis. Bullet casings were also reportedly found near his body and authorities are investigating whether he was suffocated or strangled.
An official cause of death has not yet been determined.
Esposito was also found with his keys in his pocket and his locked car nearby, leading investigators to believe he intentionally arrived at the location to meet with somebody — a theory that seems to be supported by surveillance video.
The video shows the reporter in his car, which remained idling for several minutes, before he met with another individual on the property. This occurred just hours before his body was found, according to La Città di Salerno, where he worked as a contributing reporter. The other man has not been identified and authorities are searching for him, the outlet reported.
An autopsy was conducted on Tuesday, July 21, according to La Repubblica.
Officials from the Committee to Protect Journalists and Federation of European Journalists have both requested authorities investigate whether his death is related to his reporting.
“We are deeply shocked by the brutal killing of Italian sports journalist Luca Esposito,” CPJ’s Europe representative, Attila Mong, said in a statement. “Italian authorities must act quickly and transparently to establish the full circumstances and determine whether this terrible event is linked to Luca Esposito’s journalism.”
A veteran sports journalist, Esposito was the editor-in-chief of TuttoSalernitana.com, an outlet that covers soccer, and a TV analyst. La Reppublica reported that it is not believed that Esposito’s work is related to his death.
“Investigators are ruling out, at least for now, any connection between the crime and Esposito’s work as an exuberant and outspoken commentator on the affairs of Salernitana, Avellino, and other football teams,” the site wrote in Italian. “The Carabinieri are investigating a possible lead related to personal or private motives.”
La Repubblica also speculated that Esposito’s death could be related to what it called his “double life.” He allegedly told friends that he worked for Campania’s regional environmental protection agency, which the agency itself denied. He also claimed on Facebook to work as an “official for the Campania Region,” but La Repubblica was unable to confirm.
