Casefile True Crime - Case 114: Elisa Claps & Heather Barnett

Episode Date: June 15, 2019

When teenager Elisa Claps mysteriously disappears after going to meet a friend in the Southern Italian town of Potenza, all possibilities are explored. Initial suspicions are cast on 21-year-old Danilo Restivo, but when reported sightings of Elisa begin to come in from across Italy and as far away as Albania, the investigative waters are muddied. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Written by Elsha McGill Researched by Mike Migas and Paulina Szymanska  For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-114-elisa-claps-heather-barnett

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local Crisis Centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. On September 12, 1993, the claps family were preparing for a relaxing Sunday ahead. It was a sunny day in their hometown of Patenza, a mountain city in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Parents Antonio and Filomena were looking forward to spending the day off from the tobacconist they ran in the centre of town and had travelled to the family's rural property,

27 kilometres south west of Patenza, in the small village of Tito. Whilst it was only a basic and modest abode, their country house provided a haven to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and the family cherished the quality time they were able to spend together there. They looked forward to their Sunday lunches, filled with lively conversation and home cooked meals. Devout Catholics, the claps were well liked within their local parish and were a warm and loving family who supported each other at every turn. This particular Sunday, Antonio and Filomena were joined in Tito by their second-born son, 20-year-old Luciano. The trio were preparing lunch in anticipation for the arrival of the

remaining two claps children, eldest son, 24-year-old Gildo, and the baby of the family, 16-year-old Elisa. The pair were due to arrive just after midday, along with one of Elisa's friends, Eliana Desilis. Back in Patenza, Elisa claps dressed in blue trousers, a white sweater knitted by her mother, and her trademark thin-rimmed designer glasses. She kept her thick, dark hair out and flowing below her shoulders. The bubbly teenager was popular amongst her peers, who were drawn to her warm smile, sense of humour, and kind-hearted personality. As the youngest of the claps children, she was doted on by her family, which contributed to her caring and compassionate nature. Although some noted, Elisa could be a little naive at times. Actively involved with her church, Elisa sang in the

Cathedral Choir and studied hard towards her passion of becoming a doctor, with her dream to one day work in Africa for a not-for-profit organisation. At 11am, the doorbell rang at the claps flat in Patenza. It was Elisa's friend, Eliana. The two had arranged to attend Sunday morning mass together at the Church of the Holy Trinity in the city centre. They planned to return to Elisa's home afterwards, before departing to the country for lunch with the remainder of the claps family. Elisa told her brother Judo that they would be back soon, and the two girls headed out towards the church. When an hour passed and the teenagers still hadn't returned to the flat, Judo started to worry. His sister was known for her punctuality and always phoned home if she

was running late. Then the doorbell rang, and Judo found Eliana standing there alone. The teen told him she and Elisa had become separated at the church. Eliana assumed Elisa had returned home without her, and was surprised to learn she wasn't there. Concerned, Judo walked towards the city centre whilst keeping an eye out for his sister, before arriving to the Church of the Holy Trinity. The surrounding area was busy with crowds of people, but there was no sign of Elisa. As 2pm approached, and Judo and Elisa still hadn't arrived for lunch in Tito, the rest of the claps family decided to leave the food they had prepared and make the brief

journey back to Potenza to see what was going on. When they returned, they were shocked and distressed to learn that Elisa had gone missing. Judo had already recruited a bunch of his friends to scour the area, but their efforts had failed to yield any results. Judo pressed Eliana for the exact details of Elisa's last known movements that morning. Eliana eventually admitted she hadn't been completely honest. The two girls had never intended to attend mass together. It had been a cover so Elisa could meet with a friend, 21-year-old dental student, Danilo Restivo. Elisa was reluctant about the meeting, as she knew Restivo had unreciprocated romantic feelings for her, and she found him quite odd. But he had been persistent, as he wanted to

give her a gift for passing her recent exams. Elisa agreed on account of feeling sorry for him. Although he came from a prominent family, with his father serving as director of the local branch of the National Library, Restivo was a loner with few friends. He was often teased for his effeminate voice and mannerisms, and he lacked people's girls. He frequently behaved strangely towards girls, bragging that he could convince women to sleep with him for the Philip Morris cigarettes he constantly had in his possession. Restivo and Elisa had arranged to meet inside the church at 11.30 am, just as mass was finishing. Eliana waited outside, where she ran into another of the girl's friends, Angelica. Neither girl saw Elisa leave the church.

Gildor recalled he had overheard his younger sister talking to Restivo on the phone the previous evening. Gildor didn't like Restivo, he found him odd and was suspicious of his interest in Elisa. The siblings had run into him during a recent holiday, and the encounter had unnerved Elisa, who suspected Restivo may have followed her there. Despite her obvious discomfort, she had reassured her protective older brother that Restivo meant no harm. Gildor wasn't convinced, unable to shake the feeling that there was something shady about Restivo. As Restivo was the last person believed to have been with Elisa, Gildor called his family house demanding answers. Restivo told him their meeting had only lasted 15 minutes,

during which the pair sat by the altar and chatted. Elisa had seemed a little troubled, as she said she had been harassed by a man in town earlier that morning. Afterwards, she left the church and Restivo stayed behind to pray, which is the last time he saw her. As the hour passed by and there was still no sign of Elisa, her brother Luciano paid a visit to Restivo's family home to question him in person. Restivo hesitated to answer any questions and stuttered over his answers, appearing sweaty and agitated. Luciano observed he had a large plaster on the back of his left hand and asked what happened. Restivo explained he had tripped over in a building site and cut his hand, requiring a visit to the hospital. He insisted he knew

nothing about Elisa's whereabouts or where she went after leaving the church. Luciano left the Restivo residence and returned a few hours later with Gildor in tow. The clapped brothers were greeted at the door by Restivo's parents, who advised the siblings that their son had left for the 150-kilometer westerly journey to Naples to undertake his dentistry exams the next day. Overwhelmed with concern, the claps attended the local police station to report Elisa is missing. Officers on duty recorded the details, but advised the panicked family not to worry, reassuring them Elisa was a teenager and was most likely just out with friends. This was frustrating for the claps, who knew Elisa was an obedient and well behaved girl,

who would never stay out without letting someone in her family know first. They urged the police to question Danilo Restivo, but their request was dismissed, with the officers suggesting the claps return home and wait for Elisa to show up instead. Unsure of what else to do, Gildor returned to the church of the Holy Trinity, this time finding the door was locked. He tracked someone down who had access to the key and they led him inside to search the area once again. Gildor scoured the empty pews and as he approached the altar, noticed the wooden door that gave access to the upper levels of the church was locked. Gildor asked to gain entry, but was informed that the only person who had a key to the door was

the priest, Father Dominico Sabia, known as Don Mimmi. Don Mimmi had left after mass that afternoon to attend the spa retreat for the next few days. That night, Gildor, Luciano and their friends stayed up until the early hours, combing the streets on foot and in cars, desperately searching for any sign of Elisa. Meanwhile, Antonio and Filomena sat by the phone, desperately willing their daughter to contact them. The phone rang off the hook with calls from concerned friends, relatives, townspeople and journalists, but there was no word from Elisa. Upon answering the phone on several occasions, the claps were simply met with a long, eerie silence. The following day, Monday, September 13, police began taking Elisa's disappearance more seriously,

but remained convinced she would likely show up soon. Elisa's family and friends took to the streets of Pazanza, asking passers-by if they had seen the dark-haired, dark-eyed, 16-year-old. Lost police inquired with local hospitals as to whether anyone matching Elisa's description had been admitted. The claps printed large posters of Elisa's smiling face along with pleas for information and distributed them across the city, as her disappearance began gaining media attention on local radio and television stations. As the search intensified, the claps began receiving all kinds of tip-offs from members of the public, with alleged sightings coming in from all over Italy. Numerous witnesses recalled seeing someone who matched Elisa's description in a white Fiat

Uno Vigil, whilst anonymous callers claimed they had Elisa with them, unharmed. Police dismissed the majority of the dubious tip-offs, as none aligned with the times or location Elisa was last seen. A plausible report from Elisa's friend D'Angelica, who had run into Eliana outside the church the previous day, claimed another of Elisa's admirers had been hanging around the city centre that day. 20-year-old Ares Gagar. Gagar and his family had recently moved to Potenza from their home country of Albania, meeting the girls at a church camp. The claps contacted Gagar to see if he had any information about Elisa's whereabouts, but he denied being anywhere near the church on the day of her disappearance and insisted he hadn't seen her. That afternoon, as Danilo Restivo

returned from his dentistry exams, police brought him in for formal questioning. He told them Elisa was unhappy at home and had plans to run away to Naples, a densely populated city in southern Italy with a reputation for crime and mafia activity. Restivo claimed he had attempted to talk Elisa out of this plan, warning her of the dangers a young girl faced out on the streets of the gritty and harsh city. He maintained his original story that she had left the church following their brief conversation and that he had stayed behind to pray. Although he made no mention of the present he allegedly wanted to give Elisa for completing her exams, instead stating the purpose of their meeting was to ask her advice about another girl he was interested in dating

named Paola. Afterwards, he walked home, traversing through a building site which he had visited with Paola a few days earlier, where he fell and cut his hand. The cut was bleeding so he wrapped his hand in his jacket. When Restivo returned home and showed the injury to his sister, she insisted he go to the hospital to have it cleaned up, accompanying him there at around 1pm. He was seen by a doctor shortly after, receiving a single stitch for the 1cm long laceration. Investigators noted Restivo seemed unusually precise in his answers which aroused their suspicion. They were also dubious of his claims that Elisa had an unhappy home life as there was nothing to support this theory, with friends attesting to the closeness of her loving family.

Police requested Restivo lead them to the building site where he sustained his hand injury to re-enact his movements. He complied and at the site described falling head first down a full flight of escalators that were currently under construction. This seemed curious to police as Restivo wore glasses and they had miraculously remained intact during this lengthy fall. It also didn't make sense that the only injury sustained after such a tumble was just the small cut on his hand. They visited Restivo's residence and requested his parents provide them with the blood-stained clothing their son had been wearing at the time of his fall. His powerful and well-connected father Mauricio Restivo insisted on seeing a search warrant first. As no such warrant had been obtained,

police left the property empty-handed. Convinced that Nilo Restivo was hiding something, police ran a search on his name and discovered he had been involved in a violent attack in the past. In 1989, the then 14-year-old was playing a game of cowboys and Indians with two adolescent boys when he told them he would take them to his secret hideout. He proceeded to tie their hands up, blindfold them and lock them up before inflicting the younger of the two with a small knife wound to his neck. The cut required stitches and the families of the two boys pressed charges which were later dropped when the Restivo family settled the incident outside of court with a small financial sum. It wasn't the only criminal behaviour Restivo had

exhibited. A few months earlier, he had been accused of harassing three female students who lived in an apartment complex directly across from his family's home. Over the course of several months, the women reported being subject to harrowing phone calls in which Restivo, under the guise of anonymity, attempted to scare them by describing the clothes they were currently wearing. He would play music into the phone from horror movie soundtracks and to the classical Beethoven song for release. He would also send pornographic drawings, twisted love letters and death threats, all written under false names. The early stages of the investigation into Elisa Clapp's disappearance continued to be

marred by inaccurate, false and conflicting information. Sightings kept coming in from local residents who recalled seeing Elisa after her meeting with Restivo, but police were unable to determine whether witnesses were confused with the timings or were purposely providing misleading information to stall the investigation. One witness claimed to have seen Elisa being forced into a red vehicle by two men, but she later retracted her statement entirely. Investigators circulated details of the case to other police stations throughout the country, and although wary of Restivo's claims, they alerted officials in Naples to the possibility the missing teenager could have travelled there. With so little viable information coming through

and no proof that a crime had occurred, investigators were starting to believe Elisa had simply run away from home and didn't want to be found. This possibility was vehemently disputed by the claps as none of her clothes or belongings were missing. A member of her family said, she has not gone anywhere on her own free will. Wherever she is, she's been taken by force. We shall not rest until we have her home. On September 22, 10 days since Elisa was last seen, her Albanian friend Ares Gagar was brought in for questioning about the witness sightings that placed him near the Church of the Holy Trinity on the day of the team's disappearance. Gagar denied being in the area that day, saying he never left

his neighbourhood and gave police the names of friends who could vouch for his whereabouts. When police made contact with these friends, they disputed Gagar's story, confirming that he was in fact in the city centre near the Church that day. Gagar also drove a white Fiat Uno, the same car several witnesses had described seeing Elisa in on the day of her disappearance. Suspicions that Gagar could be involved were heightened when Elisa's diary was recovered and analysed, revealing that several pages had been ripped out. Scientists were able to reconstruct segments of the torn pages and discovered that some of the words had been written in Albanian. Gagar was questioned again in October and early December with his story changing each time.

At one point, he claimed Danilo Restivo had approached him and told him to deny to the police that the two knew one another. A witness who claimed to have seen Elisa in the white Fiat Uno was shown a photograph of Gagar and accepted he shared some physical similarities to the vehicle's driver. On December 22, Ares Gagar was placed under arrest for providing false statements and held in custody pending trial. Meanwhile, investigators received a tip-off from a concerned citizen urging them to keep looking into Danilo Restivo, claiming he had exhibited some other disturbing behaviour. According to the caller, Restivo had a reputation around town for cutting the hair of unsuspecting young women on public transport. Whilst it was true that police had

received multiple reports of such incidents in the past, there was no evidence to suggest Restivo was the perpetrator of these bizarre acts. In December, an anonymous phone call was placed to the police by a female who claimed to have spotted Elisa in Italy's capital city of Rome, 350km northwest from Patenza. Elisa was allegedly sighted being beaten and forced into a white Fiat Uno. At the end of the call, the voice pleaded, help her and help me. A recording of the call was sent for expert analysis and the results were surprising. The female caller was identified to be Elisa's friend, Eliana DeSillis. Investigators had been suspicious of Eliana since the initial stages of the investigation,

as there were elements of her story that didn't quite add up, and she changed her version of events often. One witness had reported seeing Elisa riding passenger on Eliana's moped near the claps home at approximately 12.30pm on the day she went missing, and even described the very clothing the two teenagers had been wearing. Eliana strongly denied this sighting, insisting she hadn't taken her moped out that day. In addition, it was her boyfriend's mother who had tipped police off to Danilo Restivo's alleged disturbing haircutting habits. Investigators were now considering the possibility the claim was a ploy to deflect attention from Eliana, just like the false sighting of Elisa in Rome. If the witness sighting of Elisa riding

passenger on Eliana's moped at approximately 12.30pm was correct, this meant Eliana was with Elisa after her meeting with Restivo at the church. For the misleading phone call, Eliana was charged with providing false information and scheduled to appear in court the following year, with police confirming they weren't ruling her out of the investigation. The case languished for months, with the claps family convinced Elisa was likely no longer alive, and that Danilo Restivo was responsible for her death. But to their frustration, the police still hadn't ruled out the possibility she had run away from home. It hadn't taken long for the claps to suspect there were higher powers at play protecting the reputation of their daughter's killer. Given Maurizio Restivo was

a prominent man in Potenza, with strong ties to the social elite and church officials, they were convinced he had used his position of power to protect his son, and ultimately, his family's reputation. In addition, they felt the church of the Holy Trinity Priest, Father Don Mimmi, was purposely obstructing the investigation and sighting with the Restivo family. He had denied the claps access to search the upper levels of the church, and had refused to let them place a box in the church where people with information could leave anonymous notes, despite all other churches in Potenza warmly allowing this service. Don Mimmi had also denied knowing Danilo Restivo, which was quickly proven to be a lie, when a photograph surfaced of the two standing

side by side in celebration at Restivo's 18th birthday party. Elisa's family spoke of their pain in an article with Southern Italian newspaper La Gazetta della Mesa Giorno, in which Filomena claps voiced her disappointment with the police. She blamed the corrupt systems, politics, and churches of the Basilicata region for the lack of action in helping find her daughter, saying, I am a simple person and I ask for simple answers, but there's nothing simple about the way this region is run. The grieving mother said she just wanted closure and a final resting place for her daughter. Somewhere she could go to place flowers and sit beside her.

Quote, I miss her sitting at the table. I miss her hugs. She was always so happy, always so loving. I often talk with her. We have conversations in my head as if she's in the room with me. In fact, she is here. I know it. Which makes me sad, because it means she can only be here in spirit and will never walk through the door again. I am lost without her. She is my first and last thought every day. A hopeful lead came through when police received a tip-off that someone matching Elisa's description who spoke Italian had been spotted across the Adriatic Sea in Albania. The lead gained credibility when the witness claimed that the month Elisa went missing, sex traffickers returned to Albania from Italy in possession

of a dark-haired teenage girl. Investigators and news crews travelled to the Balkan country in search of her, but the whole story turned out to be a ruse, designed to gain money and publicity for the false witness. By June 1994, the investigation into Elisa's disappearance had hit a dead end. The case was reviewed, and an eight-page interim report was prepared by the head of the police force Luigi Grimaldi, concluding that Elisa was a well-behaved teenager who would never put her mother through the torment of running away from home. Given her family wasn't well off, the possibility that she had been kidnapped for ransom was also excluded. As was the theory she had been abducted and forced into sex slavery, as it was unlikely such gangs would operate in

broad daylight on a Sunday in the vicinity of a busy church. Grimaldi's report ultimately concluded that Elisa claps had likely been murdered by someone she knew and her body was hidden somewhere in Potenza. He spotlighted Danilo Restivo and Ares Gega as the main suspects, with Restivo's suspicious hand injury and the fact he was the last one to see Elisa alive, making him the most likely perpetrator. He recommended Danilo Restivo be placed under arrest, but the request was denied by the magistrate leading the investigation. In early September 1994, as the one-year anniversary of Elisa's disappearance approached, the residents of Potenza planned a procession in her honor. Then on September 10, two days before it was scheduled to take place, Danilo Restivo was once

again questioned by investigators determined to catch out the inconsistencies in his stories. They put it to him that the fall he had described at the building site was inconsistent with the injuries he had sustained, asking him if there was any other information he wanted to come clean with. Restivo maintained he was being truthful and had nothing to hide, but the investigators were unconvinced and placed him under arrest for deliberately providing false information. He was assigned to the same cell as Ares Gega, which had been fitted with a covert listening device in the hopes the two suspects would discuss Elisa's disappearance and divulge information that could be of use to the investigation. Following the arrest, the heat was temporarily

taken off for Restivo when Ares Gega's lawyer went straight to the media with the new information that Elisa had once again been cited in Albania, this time in a remote village. Many viewed it as odd that the lawyer would actively draw attention back to his client's home country, and the announcement did nothing but heighten suspicions that Gega was involved in Elisa's disappearance. Law enforcement followed up the claims as television crews rushed to the Albanian village to interview local residents, but the supposed sightings of Elisa turned out to be a lookalike. Furthermore, police attempts to record Restivo and Gega providing incriminating information were unsuccessful. During their time together in jail, the two men never discussed

Elisa or the case at all. In January 1995, Danilo Restivo appeared in the Patanza Criminal Court to face the perjury charges against him. Tension was palpable between the claps and to Restivo families, but the accused presented as calm and confident, as his lawyer reminded the court his client was simply on trial for deliberately providing false information and not for his involvement with Elisa claps disappearance. The trial was lengthy, hindered by interruptions and delays common in Italy's legal system. Various witnesses took the stand, including the doctor who had treated the wound on Restivo's hand. The doctor stated it was unlikely Restivo's injury had been caused by a fall at the building site, and more likely it was caused by a sharp

cutting object. Paola, the young woman Restivo claimed to have visited the building site with in the days before his injury, testified that she had never done any such thing. She told the court Restivo had once told her he had the potential to harm others when he was provoked and that he knew all the local churches inside out. At the same time his perjury trial was taking place, Restivo also faced court for separate charges relating to the three female students he had been harassing via phone and mail. For this crime he faced punishment of up to 18 days in prison, but was issued with a fine of 450,000 lira instead, the equivalent to around $450 in today's currency. In early March 1995, Danilo Restivo was found guilty of deliberately

providing false information and sentenced to 20 months in prison. Outside court, Judo Klaps told reporters he couldn't understand how Restivo could be found guilty of being deceitful about what happened on the morning of Elisa's disappearance without being required to then provide the truth. Quote, Clearly, this isn't enough for my family. I don't believe that it's enough for the city of Potenza, for civil society. To us, a verdict of this sort is of no use. Ares Gagar and Eliana Desilis were both found not guilty for the perjury charges against them, with the judge concluding Eliana had not lied to deflect attention from herself, but out of fear that her own safety was in jeopardy.

Following the court proceedings, reports continued to come in from people who believed they had seen Elisa Klaps, with some witness sightings coming from as far away as Africa. By the time the two-year anniversary of her disappearance approached, every possible rumor had circulated through Potenza, including that Elisa had been caught up with the Sicilian Mafia, that she had been in a secret relationship with a priest, and that she had been sold into the and that she had been sold into the sex trade. The Klaps were inundated with people seeking money for information, wild claims from clairvoyants, and tip-offs that continuously led to painful dead ends. Danilo Restiva was released from prison after serving just 10 months of his

20-month sentence, and no further legal action was taken against him in relation to Elisa's disappearance. Police received more reports from young women who claimed to have had their hair mysteriously cut whilst travelling on public transport, several of whom worked with a sketch artist to create an image of the perpetrator. The resulting image bore a striking resemblance to Restiva. When shown a photograph of him, two women identified Restiva as the haircutter and agreed to participate in a police lineup, but changed their minds at the last minute after questioning the accuracy of their initial identification. Over time, the Elisa Klaps case started to fade from the headlines, although her family went to

great efforts to keep it in the public consciousness. They appeared on television and radio shows at every opportunity, and plastered posters of Elisa's smiling face around the city. Her father Antonio became withdrawn, whilst her brothers and mother remained vigilant, looking into every single lead to ensure no stone went unturned. By 1998, five years had passed since Elisa's disappearance. Police declared the case was still open, but the investigation was no longer active. Media interests had dissipated, with the case only receiving rare mentions upon approaching anniversaries, whilst the leads, anonymous tip-offs and hoaxes had long since abated.

As the internet emerged and grew in prominence, the Klaps created a website where people could find information about Elisa and the investigation. On April 23, 1999, an email was sent to the website attesting to be from Elisa herself. It claimed she had left Potenza at her own free will and was safe and well living in Brazil. She apologized for causing pain to her family and assured she had meant no harm, but had been unhappy and had to get away. She said she had no intention of coming home and had only decided to get in contact to put her family's minds at ease, explaining it would be the first and last time she would be in touch.

The email ended, this is hello and goodbye, forever. Desperate to believe it was real, Filomena clung to the hopes her daughter was living happily in another continent, but her sons weren't convinced, knowing their younger sister had left the house with no money and no passport. They employed the services of a private investigator who traced the IP address of the email, revealing it wasn't sent from Brazil at all, but from an internet café in Potenza. The family inquired with the café and obtained a list of all the registered users who had logged on to their computers that day. Logged in at the exact time the email had been sent was Danilo Restivo.

The claps immediately informed police and demanded Restivo be questioned over the email, convinced he had crafted the lie to encourage them to give up on the search. But they were bluntly told Elisa's case had now been shelved and there was nothing more investigators could do. In an interview with the journalist Tobias Jones for his book Blood on the Altar, Elisa's mother Filomena later said, Restivo is a wild beast that grew up in the forest. If I could, I would tear out his eyes. I could never forgive him, never. There's no saint that could forgive him. I can't leave Potenza. This is where Elisa grew up and this is where I'll die.

And when I die, I want to close my eyes serenely and say, I did everything for Elisa. 1400 miles north from Potenza across the English Channel lies Bournemouth, a relatively quiet and peaceful seaside town located on the southern coast of Great Britain. With a population of approximately 190,000 residents, it is the largest town in southwest England's Dorset County. Given its access to the heritage-listed Jurassic Coast, a 155-kilometre long stretch of coastline, the area attracts around 7 million tourists per year. The 1992 foundation of the new Bournemouth University continues to attract students from all over the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world, accounting for a vast amount of the town's population.

48-year-old Heather Barnett was born and raised in Dorset County, growing up in the small agricultural town of Sturminster, Newton, an area known for its livestock and dairy farms. As a young girl, down to Worth Heather was considered shy and quiet, but she came out of her shell as she grew up, singing in the church choir and performing in local pantomimes. Friends were drawn to her feisty and joyful personality, and she was popular within the town. Her father worked as an iron monger, and Heather often helped out at his shop to earn extra cash, before deciding to move to Bournemouth in her adulthood. Over the years, the tender and caring animal lover worked as a veterinary assistant, an au pair, and a waitress, before undertaking a

curtain-making course at a local college. Heather soon fell in love with a man named David Marsh, and the two were married, giving birth to a son, Terry, in 1987, followed by a daughter, Caitlin, in 1991. Soon after the birth of their second child, the marriage hit rocky grounds, and Heather and David sought a divorce, leaving Heather to raise her two children predominantly as a single mother. The trio moved into a ground floor flat in a red brick building on Capstone Road, a quiet, working-class neighborhood situated off one of Bournemouth's main streets. Heather supported her family by putting her seamstress skills to use, sowing a range of items for clients around Dorset County, including curtains, tablecloths, cushions, and clothing.

She worked from home, enabling her time to focus on raising her two children, who were her pride and joy. With limited income, Heather lived a frugal but happy life, often gushing to frugal, but happy life, often gushing to friends and neighbors about how proud she was of her kids and their performance at school. The morning of Tuesday, November 12, 2002, started like any other in Heather's household. Forever the early bird, she arose early, tending to the family's sick cat, before preparing breakfast for 14-year-old Terry and 11-year-old Caitlin. The Barnett children usually walked to school, but it was a gray, drizzly day, so Heather agreed to drive them, returning home from the drop-off shortly after 8.30 am.

She anticipated a normal day ahead, which typically consisted of a morning cup of tea, followed by making a few phone calls to clients, before sitting down to begin her sowing commissions. Hours later, at 3.30 pm, Terry and Caitlin arrived home from school, finding the front door unlocked, which they noted as odd, as their mother was known to be security conscious. They walked inside, throwing their backpacks down and calling out, hi mom. Heather usually met them at the door with a hug and a kiss, but strangely, she was nowhere to be seen. The kids knew their mother couldn't be too far away as her car was parked outside and the radio was playing. They looked around the small flat and noticed that her sowing machine had been

knocked on its side and there were some other signs of disturbance. Caitlin timidly knocked on the bathroom door, calling out to ask if her mother was there. When there was no response, she slowly pushed the door open, finding Heather lying on the floor in a pool of blood. After seeing the terrifying scene for himself, Terry frantically called the police, telling them, my mom has been murdered, this is not a joke. The distressed siblings then raced out of the house and onto the street, waving their arms in a panic and desperately screaming for help. A couple who lived across the street were pulling up to their house when they noticed the two frantic children and quickly climbed out of their car to ask what was wrong.

Due to the sheer scale of their distress, it was difficult to understand exactly what Caitlin and Terry were saying. When the couple realized what was going on, they directed the siblings into their flat to wait for the police to arrive, reassuring them that they were safe. The police soon arrived and cordoned off the entire street, declaring it a crime scene. They recorded the names and contact details of all the gathering onlookers to follow up for routine questioning in due course. Forensic pathologists were called to the site to determine the cause of Heather's death, who soon discovered the mother of two had sustained 10 forceful, fatal blows to the head with a heavy instrument thought to be a hammer,

before having her throat slit. Her trousers were opened and her bra had been cut from the front, exposing her chest. Her breasts had been removed with a sharp object thought to be a 14cm long knife and carefully placed alongside her head. The lacerations were neat and precise, with the killer having been careful and controlled in their actions. A lack of blood from these injuries indicated the dismemberment had been inflicted post-mortem. The horrific mutilations implied the attack was sexually motivated, although no traces of semen were found. In both her hands, Heather was grasping several strands of human hair. Detective Superintendent Phil James quote,

For Heather's two children to come home and find their mother this way is horrific. Not only have they been deprived of their mother, but the killer was so callous to allow them to see her this way. This is the sort of thing you'd only expect to see in the godfather. The temperature of Heather's body indicated she had been killed shortly after returning from dropping her children at school, with her time of death estimated as 9.30am. This was further supported by telephone records, which showed four incoming calls had come through to the Barnett flat between 10.56am and 4.15pm, all of which went unanswered. Scuff marks and overturned furniture revealed a desperate struggle in which Heather had tried

to run for her life. Blood spatter found on the door near an upturned stool in Heather's sewing room marked the location where she had been violently struck. The blood stains also indicated she had sustained the head injuries whilst close to the floor, as though she had already been knocked to the ground before being hit from behind. Further blood patterns showed the perpetrator had then dragged her unconscious body to the bathroom, where they inflicted the knife wounds. Luminol tests identified trace elements of bloody footprints made from a size 9-11 Nike brand men's sneaker. The distinctive prints started in the bathroom, then led back into the sewing room and stopped by the time they reached the front hallway.

It was suspected the killer had likely swapped their blood-soaked shoes for a cleaner pair they had brought with them before exiting the flat. Investigators conducted a thorough search of the crime scene and declared nothing had been stolen, ruling out the possibility the attack was motivated by theft. In addition, Heather's front door keys were sitting in the internal lock and there were no signs of forced entry, suggesting she had known her killer and willingly let them inside her home. Several fibres found on Heather's body were believed to have come from gloves the killer wore, supported by the fact not a single foreign fingerprint was uncovered. Coupled with the apparent change of shoes, this evidence led police to the conclusion the murder

was a carefully planned ritualistic attack. The killer had likely arrived to the scene armed with a full change of clothes, anticipating the amount of bloodshed. However, they had left behind one clue. Draped over a chair in Heather's sewing room was a green hand towel that didn't belong to her family. It was stained with Heather's blood and given its location and positioning, investigators determined it had been placed on the chair after it had received the blood stains. The killer likely brought the towel to the flat and used it to wipe Heather's blood from their face or hands before changing their shoes and clothing and leaving the scene. The national criminal database was used to search for all sex offenders and people with a serious

criminal record within a five mile radius of Heather's home, but all were able to provide solid alibis for the day of her murder. Investigators doorknocked the area and discovered no one who was home at the time of Heather's murder had witnessed anything suspicious or heard any screams, which was unusual given her home was in a busy area surrounded by several other flats. Given it appeared she had willingly let the attacker inside her home, investigators suspected the killer was likely someone close to the family and honed their suspicions in on Heather's ex-husband David, but could find no evidence to link him to the crime. Meanwhile, the results of DNA testing conducted on the strands of hair found in Heather's hands came back. It was initially assumed Heather

had ripped the hair from her attacker's head as she fought for her life, with investigators hopeful they may be able to identify her killer through mitochondrial DNA. But forensic tests revealed something unexpected. The hair had not been ripped out at all, but instead cut neatly with a sharp instrument. Whilst the hair in Heather's left hand was revealed to be her own, the nine centimeter long strands of neatly cut hair in her right hand were identified as belonging to another woman. Further scientific testing of the hair using a process known as stable isotope analysis revealed the unknown female lived in the United Kingdom, but had traveled to Spain or Southern France and Florida less than three months before her hair had been cut. With such detailed analysis,

police were confident this hair would help lead them to Heather's killer. Detectives questioned Heather's children and discovered that about a week before the murder, the spare key to their house had gone missing. As she was on a tight income and couldn't afford to risk any of their possessions being stolen, Heather had the locks replaced. When asked if anyone had visited their flat recently, Terry explained one of their neighbors had stopped by a few days prior to his mother's death to inquire about having some curtains made for his girlfriend. It was the same neighbor who had consoled Terry and his sister upon the discovery of their mother's mutilated body, an Italian man he knew as Danny.

Danilo Restivo, known to neighbors simply as Danny, had relocated to the United Kingdom in May of 2002 to live with an Italian woman named Fiamma, whom he had met on the internet. Their home was directly across the street from Heather Barnett's, overlooking her bedroom and bathroom. As Restivo didn't speak much English, he immersed himself within the Bournemouth Italian community, frequenting the restaurants and bars that gave him a sense of his home country. He and Fiamma mostly kept to themselves, communicating in Italian and shutting themselves off from their neighbors. Restivo had recently enrolled in a computer course at a local training center where he was also learning English to improve his chances of gaining employment in his

new country. Police had already questioned Restivo in the early stages of Heather Barnett's murder investigation, as he and Fiamma were the first on the scene to help her children. They had embraced Terry and Kaelan and taken them into their flat for support whilst they waited for the police to arrive, but didn't offer any information that could help detectives with their investigation. Five days after Heather's murder, detectives visited her neighbors to request DNA samples as part of a process of elimination. Restivo and Fiamma obliged, providing fingerprints, hair samples and mouth swabs. A detective then asked to see the pair of shoes Restivo was wearing on the day of the murder. Although he hesitated at first, he led the

detective to the bathroom where a pair of size 9 Nike sneakers were soaking in a bucket full of bleach. Restivo explained the shoes were dirty with a bad smell and he was attempting to clean them, but the detective was immediately suspicious and confiscated the shoes for further testing. However, they didn't reveal a match to the bloody footprints in Heather's house. Restivo was brought in for police questioning and asked about his whereabouts on the morning of November 12th, the day Heather was killed. He explained he had left the house between 8.10 and 8.20 am to catch the bus to his computer training centre, where he had attended his classes as usual, before leaving for the day around 3.45 pm. Police looked into his alibi

and discovered it checked out. Restivo had a bus ticket stamped at 8.44 am. Heather's car had been captured on CCTV footage returning home from the school run at 8.37 am, meaning he couldn't have been at her house at the time of the murder. Furthermore, records obtained that Restivo's education facility confirmed he had signed in for his computer classes at 9 am, as stated in his police report. With his alibi in check and no motive for Restivo to want to harm Heather, investigators returned their focus to other potential suspects, including Heather's ex-husband. Detective Superintendent Phil James described the case as one of the most traumatic murders you can imagine, saying, This was a very carefully planned killing. There was nothing spur

of the moment about it. This was an attack personal to Heather, not the work of a random killer. By early 2003, detectives had questioned over 100 people known to Heather, but not a single one could identify anyone who may hold a grudge against the mother of two, or have a reason to want to harm her. With very few leads to go by, police set out to find the weapons used in the murder. They searched parks, backyards, sheds, rubbish bins, and sewers around the Bournemouth area for the hammer and knife, but to no success. Posters featuring Heather's photo were plastered around town, appealing for anyone with information about her killer to come forward. Whilst a £10,000 reward was offered by crime stoppers,

for anyone who had information that led to a conviction. In May 2003, police searched through Heather's computer and discovered she had sent an email to a friend the week before her murder, in which she mentioned that her spare house keys were missing. She had been unable to find them after a visit from a neighbour who inquired about her seamstress services, and she suspected he may have picked them up by mistake. She left a note in their letter box asking to have the keys returned. That neighbour was Danilo Rostevo. Other than the suspicious bleach-stained sneakers, police had little reason to suspect Rostevo had any involvement in Heather's murder, viewing him as an awkward and clumsy man incapable

of such a sophisticated attack. Now curious as to whether they may have missed a crucial detail, they ran an online search for his name and made the startling discovery. This wasn't the first time Rostevo had been a person of interest in a major police investigation. More than a decade earlier, he'd been a prime suspect in the 1993 disappearance of 16-year-old Italian teenager, a laser collapse. Investigators revisited Rostevo's alibi at the time of Heather Barnett's murder and realised that it wasn't as airtight as they had initially thought. They double-checked the sign-in book at his computer training centre, where it became evident that on the morning Heather was attacked, his sign-in time had been altered.

Rostevo had signed in at 9am, but closer inspection revealed the entry had been amended from its original time of 10.28am. Furthermore, although Rostevo's bus ticket had been stamped at 8.44am, there was nothing to confirm whether he had travelled all the way to the training centre, or simply disembarked at the next stop and walked the short track back to Heather's house. For the second time in his life, Danilo Rostevo became a prime suspect, and yet again, the evidence against him was purely circumstantial. There was no motive, murder weapon, or forensic evidence linking him to the Heather Barnett crime scene, and therefore, not enough to warrant an arrest. Police continue to appeal for information,

and by the one-year anniversary of Heather's death in November 2003, they released additional details about her murder to the public for the first time, including the killer's Nike sneaker prints and the gruesome dismemberment of her breasts. When the public appeals generated no further leads, they re-honed their focus on Danilo Rostevo. International criminal police organisation Interpol made contact with Italian authorities in Patanza. They notified them that they were looking into Rostevo as a person of interest in Heather Barnett's murder, and requested any information in relation to his possible involvement

in Elisa Clapp's disappearance. They were informed of Rostevo's reported hair cutting fetish and previous criminal behaviour, which only served to highlight him as a likely suspect for Heather's death. In April 2004, police placed Rostevo under surveillance, where they soon discovered the Italian had some disturbing habits. On several occasions, he visited Throop Mill Park, a secluded and isolated park just outside of Bournemouth that was frequented by female joggers. During his visits, Rostevo made efforts to appear inconspicuous, dressing in dark clothing, sunglasses and gloves, with the hood of his jacket often pulled tight around his face. On May 11, 2004, Rostevo parked his car at the end of a quiet

laneway near Throop Mill Park, where surveillance officers recorded him changing into a new shirt and shoes. His movements were stealth, and he appeared to be attempting to go unnoticed, as he crouched behind some tall grass and observed a female jogger go past. The next day, May 12, Rostevo returned to Throop Mill Park wearing waterproof trousers. He continued to act suspiciously, and fears increased that he intended to launch an attack. Police decided they couldn't take the risk, and approached Rostevo under the guise they were inquiring about some thefts in the area. He appeared sweaty and agitated as police commenced the search of his vehicle, where they discovered garbage bags, scissors, gloves, a balaclava,

and a bag containing a large knife. Rostevo explained that he found the knife at the park, and had collected it to ensure it wouldn't harm any children. But police surveillance had captured him conducting no such action. A subsequent search of his house confirmed a blade of the same description was missing from a knife block in his kitchen. A month and a half later, on June 22, Danilo Rostevo was placed under arrest in relation to Heather Barnett's murder. He underwent intense police interrogation over his whereabouts on the day of her death, as well as his suspicious behaviour in Throop Mill Park. He was also pressed about Elisa Clapp's disappearance, but he remained stoic and stuck to all of his original

stories. After three days of questioning, he was released after police failed to obtain any incriminating evidence to charge him. One detective remarked, I reckon he must have had his nerves extracted when he lost his milk teeth. On a scale of 0 to 10, I never saw fear in his eyes rise above zero. Meanwhile, 1400 miles away in Potenza, Gildor Clapp's had never given up searching for his missing youngest sister. Two years prior had marked a decade since Elisa's disappearance, with all the local churches, except for the Church of the Holy Trinity, commemorating the solemn anniversary by simultaneously ringing their bells in the teenager's honour.

When Gildor learned that Danilo Rostevo had been arrested in the UK in relation to the murder of Heather Barnett, he travelled to Bournemouth to meet with the detectives in charge of the investigation, relaying all the information he knew about their suspect. Upon his return to Potenza, Gildor plastered posters throughout the city, featuring photos of Heather and Elisa side by side. Atop the words, we will remember them. The possible connection between the two cases quickly gathered media attention, with Elisa's mother, Filomena, commenting to the press. The person who took my little girl away from me 11 years ago also took Heather from her children. I wish I could see them. When I heard of her death, my first thoughts were for the children.

I can imagine what they are going through. I think I can understand how they feel having lost a loved one, just like me. I feel a bond with them. Later in 2006, a plaque was erected on the street Elisa had traversed on her way to the Church of the Holy Trinity the day she went missing. It declared, along this route on September 12, 1993, Elisa claps disappeared. At a distance of 13 years, the city remembers Elisa and awaits the truth. Bornmouth detective started working closely with authorities in Italy, convinced the potential connection between Heather and Elisa's cases was too strong to ignore. As news reports circulated throughout Dorset County, several young women came forward to report having their hair snipped off whilst traveling on public

transport and in cinemas, with the incidents beginning in 2002 when Restivo first moved to the area. Furthermore, several of these women identified the Italian as the perpetrator of these acts. Whilst the majority of the stories simply involved Restivo surreptitiously chopping locks of the girl's hair, more extreme reports alleged that he was also masturbating underneath his coat whilst doing so. Women in Potenza began reporting similar incidents they had endured many years before, with 24 women in total coming forward across both countries. Restivo's haircutting fetish was a major concern for Bornmouth detectives, who suspected his obsession had something to do with the mysterious lock of hair that had

been left in Heather Barnett's hand. Each of the women who reported having their hair cut by Restivo agreed to provide DNA samples to test against the mystery hair, but none of the results returned a match. Bornmouth detectives consulted with the FBI, who concluded Heather Barnett's murder was not random but carefully planned, describing her killer as a semi-reclusive but otherwise seemingly regular middle-aged man who exhibited stalker-like behavior. In November 2006, police obtained a warrant to search Restivo's flat. Inside a chest of drawers, they discovered a lock of hair tied with a piece of cotton hidden inside a plastic bag. The hair was tested for DNA, but returned no match for Restivo, Elisa claps, or Heather Barnett.

As the plastic bag also contained photos of his partner Fiamas family, it was determined that the hair most likely served as an innocent memento from a family member and was not associated with anything criminal. Despite the unwavering efforts of police, the investigation into Heather Barnett's murder languished. The case continued to be featured in sporadic news articles and on the BBC television show Crime Watch, which generated new leads and potential witness sightings, but nothing substantial enough to warrant Danilo Restivo or any other individual being charged with the murder. In 2006, CCTV footage was aired on Crime Watch which showed a blurry image of an unknown man crossing the street towards Capston Road where Heather lived at 9.24 am on the morning

of her murder. The TV show appealed for anyone with information about the man in the footage to contact police, prompting a shop assistant at a local pharmacy to come forward and identify the man as one of her regular customers, Danilo Restivo. However, as this witness was already aware that Restivo was a person of interest in Heather's murder, police were dubious as to whether this had influenced her identification. Meanwhile, in Italy, in 2007, a thread was created on Italian community website Popolo Dallorette discussing Elisa Clapp's murder. Over 350,000 people engaged with the site to share theories, rumors and speculations. Many posts defended Danilo Restivo and accused the Clapp's family of running a smear campaign

to destroy his family's reputation. A private investigator hired by Elisa's family infiltrated the site, discovering that Restivo himself was behind several of the user's accounts. Then, in 2008, advances in technology led to retesting of the mysterious green bloodstained towel found in Heather Barnett's flat. The blood on the towel had already been determined to belong to Heather, but it had long since been speculated that the killer had used the towel to wipe clean their own face or hands. This time, forensic experts were able to test for traces of sweat and skin flakes. Whilst the results were unable to determine with 100% certainty whether the traces came from Danilo Restivo, experts ruled there was only a one in 57,000 chance that the

DNA belonged to someone else. In 2009, Restivo's bleach-soaked Nike sneakers were also subject to advanced forensic testing. Trace elements of blood were uncovered on the inside of the shoes, indicating Restivo had blood on his socks when he placed his feet inside the trainers. This supported investigators' initial theories that Heather's killer had brought a second pair of shoes to change into following the attack. However, the exposure to bleach had rendered it impossible to obtain a DNA profile from the blood. Restivo's explanation as to why he was bleaching his shoes was that he thought the bleach was soap, adding he must have gotten the Italian and English words mixed up. The evidence against Restivo was mounting, but police were determined

to uncover concrete proof before proceeding with an arrest, knowing a jury could easily deliver a not guilty verdict if presented with the evidence they had obtained so far. Then, on March 17, 2010, something unexpected happened. In Potenza, maintenance workers were undertaking repairs on the church of the Holy Trinity, which had been damaged by leaks throughout the winter season. Two maintenance workers entered a wooden door by the altar and ventured upstairs to the building's attic which overlooked the city. Using a torch to illuminate the dark area, one worker began searching the space for damage when he noticed something lying in the corner of the room behind a pile of rubble.

He shone his light on the object and realised in horror that he was looking at a mummified human body. Police and forensic investigators were called to the scene where inspection of the body and surrounding area revealed several items of well-preserved clothing and jewellery, including a pair of shoes, a necklace and round rimmed eyeglasses. The items were shown to the claps family, who confirmed them to be the items Elisa had worn the day she went missing. The heavily decomposed body was taken for DNA testing, confirming that after 16 years, Elisa claps had finally been found. An autopsy revealed the teenager had been stabbed to nine times in the chest and back before being suffocated. The murder weapon was

likely a pair of scissors, with defence wounds to her hands indicating Elisa had fought against her attacker. Her pants had been cut down the front and sides and her bra had been cut from the front. Bruising around her pelvis indicated she had been sexually assaulted, although no traces of semen were detected. In her hands were two separate locks of neatly cut hair and more bundles also lay alongside her body. It was concluded that Elisa had likely been killed in the attic of the church on the day of her disappearance before her body was dragged into the corner of the room and covered with rubble. Traces of another person's DNA were found and sent to geneticist Professor Vincenzo Pascali at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome.

Professor Pascali had strong ties to the Church of the Holy Trinity, and his examination of the crucial unknown DNA at Elisa claps crime scene involved a quick analysis using outdated methods. He promptly ruled the DNA did not come from prime suspect, Danilo Restivo. Seeking a second opinion, the magistrate in charge of the murder investigation sent the DNA to the Department of Scientific Investigations who declared the DNA was indeed a match to Danilo Restivo. Professor Pascali was later convicted of forgery and given an 18-month suspended sentence. As news spread that Elisa claps had been discovered in the very location she was last seen, the people of Potenza flocked to lay flowers, plants and teddy bears at the steps of the Church

of the Holy Trinity. Citizens reeled over the reality that for close to two decades, Elisa had been lying in the attic of the very place they had gathered to pray for her. Graffiti sprung up around town blaming the church's former priest, Father Don Mimmi, for covering up the teenager's death. Don Mimmi had passed away two years prior, taking any secrets to the grave. In a meeting with a journalist Tobias Jones for his book Blood on the Altar, another of Potenza's Catholic priests Don Marcello Cotzi said, the claps family have been through great suffering. They've been violated in their emotions. To find the cadaver of her daughter in the church has been a laceration to Filomena's heart,

because she's a woman of faith. She went to that church, went there to pray to the eternal father that she should find her daughter, and all that time in that church Elisa was up there. You can imagine the storm in the heart of her mother. On May 19, 2010, 12 detectives gathered outside Danilo Restivo's red brick home in Bournemouth and placed the 38-year-old under arrest for Heather Barnett's murder. He was handcuffed and led outside, covering his face with a towel and declaring his innocence as he accused the police of harassment. During subsequent police interrogation, he was informed that his DNA had been found on the green towel located inside Heather's home. He had previously denied owning the towel,

but now conceded he had given it to her as a colour sample for the curtains he commissioned her to sew. Restivo was refused a bail and held in custody until the preliminary hearing scheduled later that year. Upon hearing the news of Restivo's UK arrest, Elisa's reclusive father, Antonio, gave his first-ever interview to the Italian media, where he said with bitterness, I don't believe in justice anymore. Ours is a country of buffoons, of clowns, and jokes. The truth doesn't count anymore. Of what interest is it to me? She, Elisa, isn't here today. I won't go to her funeral. I will stay here to mourn her alone. One week after Restivo was taken into custody in the UK, Italian authorities issued a warrant

for his arrest for the murder of Elisa Klaps. The prosecution requested Restivo be granted temporary extradition to face questioning in Italy, but the request was denied pending completion of the UK legal process. The preliminary hearing for Heather Barnett's case commenced on November 8, 2010, where Restivo entered his plea of not guilty. Members of Elisa's family were in attendance, who held onto strong hopes the accused killer would receive a prison sentence in the UK instead of Italy, where they feared he might be able to find a way around the system. On May 4, 2011, Restivo faced trial in the Winchester Crown Court, overseen by presiding judge Justice Ian Burnett. An interpreter was present for the entire duration, translating

from English to Italian, as television crews gathered from across the UK, Europe, and the United States. Elisa's mother, Filomena, was granted permission to sit in the courtroom instead of the public gallery, so Restivo would be able to see her face. The prosecution had been permitted to present evidence relating to Elisa's murder, telling the jury that whilst they were not required to deliver a verdict in relation to that case, the evidence served to prove that the killings of both victims were so similar that there was no doubt they were both done by the same person. The evidence linking Restivo to Heather Barnett's murder was presented over the course of seven weeks, including the bleach-soaked Nike sneakers, the green towel, the police surveillance videos

at Throop Mill Park, and the CCTV footage of the man crossing the street towards Heather's house, which one witness had identified as Restivo. To highlight his haircutting fetish and the link to the hair placed in Heather's hands, various women from both Bournemouth and Potenza testified that Restivo had given them unwanted haircuts during bus rides and in cinemas. The prosecution worked to discredit Restivo's alibi, pointing out the training centre's sign-in book had been doctored and arguing the accused could have easily purchased the bus ticket and disembarked straight away to fabricate that he was commuting at the time. They also presented new evidence that had come to light since Restivo's arrest. Forensic computer experts had searched the hard drive of

the computer he had used at the training centre on November 12, 2002, the day of Heather's murder, which revealed that no human activity was found on the computer between 9.08 and 10.10am that day. Furthermore, in the weeks and months following the crime, the computer had been used to search for information and updates regarding the case, including any reported witness sightings and the £10,000 reward. Italian witnesses and the law enforcement agents were called to discuss the circumstances of a laser-clapsed disappearance and murder, with one forensic expert concluding there were similarities in the way both victims' bras had been cut from the front. Denilo Restivo took the stand, denying being the figure captured on the CCTV footage on Heather's

street on the morning of her murder. When presented with the surveillance team's findings that he appeared to be stalking women in Throop Mill Park, Restivo explained he had only gone there to enjoy the wildlife. He reasoned the balaclava found in his car was to help with his sinus problems and that he had changed clothes in the park due to thyroid issues. To account for any discrepancies in his stories, he claimed he suffered from sleep apnea which had a negative impact on his memory. Under cross-examination, he denied masturbating in public but admitted to the haircutting incidents, saying the habit started as a dare when he was 15 years old. From there, he realised he liked the feel and smell of hair and continued doing it, meaning

no harm and not realising it was an offence to do so. In a bid to gain sympathy from the jury, he presented himself as a misunderstood and lonely man who just wanted to be loved. His manipulative tactic was obvious, with one Italian reporter remarking, that's always been his strategy. He appears to be like the village idiot and people underestimate him. He's very clever, very wily. On June 30, 2011, the jury of seven men and five women deliberated for five hours before delivering their verdict. After nine years of intense investigation, Danilo Restivo was found guilty for the murder of Heather Barnett. In sentencing, Heather's daughter Caitlin presented her victim impact statement, which read,

I used to have nightmares and flashbacks reminding me of the events of November 12. I also don't like going into bathrooms. I used to think that someone might be waiting for me. Now, I just hold a fear of what's behind the bathroom door. It was at that moment that I felt as if my heart had been ripped out. My mom is no longer able to help me celebrate my successes and to pull me through the disappointments. I will never get the chance again to tell her how much I love her and how much I now miss her. I feel a great anger at the accused. Without him, she'd still be here. How could he intrude into our safe and happy family home and then take everything from us

in such a horrific and callous way? During his sentencing remarks, Justice Barnett declared, The seriousness of this offense is exceptionally high. You knew an 11-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy would find their mother butchered on the bathroom floor. This feature of the case will haunt those who sat through it. Why you picked Heather Barnett as your victim, I do not know, but it's clear that you did so to satisfy a sadistic sexual appetite. The evidence in this case shows you are a cold, depraved, calculated killer.

Danilo Restivo was sentenced to life in prison with no minimum term. Outside court, Heather's brother Ben expressed his relief at the verdict, saying, Our biggest fear was always that this might happen to somebody else. Restivo has already had eight years of freedom that my sister never had. I've thought about the death penalty, but I think it's too good for him. It seems like the easy way out. I think he's going to have a miserable rest of his life in prison. In Italy on July 1, 2011, almost 18 years after her murder, a white coffin containing a laser-clap body was displayed at her former high school,

along with an image of her smiling face, as the people of Patanza gathered to pay their final respects. The following day, an outdoor funeral was held in one of the town squares, as the claps family refused to put a laser back inside a church. Over 7000 mourners attended the memorial, including politicians, mares, and officials from nearby towns, with many local businesses shutting down for the duration of the service to honor the teenager's memory. Father Don Marcello Cotti, who had provided unwavering support to the claps family over the years, delivered the service. He gave an impassioned speech about the unjust nature of Elisa's death. Quote, Lord, how was it possible that the life of a just blossoming

flower was cut off and then left to rot in the dark corner like someone threw away a weed? And how was it possible that all that happened in a church? Your church, Lord. We would like to talk to you, with so much suffering in our hearts, about those who preferred to whisper, rather than shout. Following the service, Elisa's lily-covered coffin was finally laid to rest at the Patanza cemetery, her gravestone declaring, My long journey in the dark has finished on a warm spring day. I am finally home. On November 8, 2011, Elisa claps murder trial was held in Salerno, a port city southeast of Naples. Italian authorities had issued a warrant for Rostevo's extradition from the United Kingdom.

But as the convicted killer had appealed his conviction for Heather Barnett's murder, the extradition warrant was rejected and the Italian trial proceeded in absentia. Rostevo accepted the prosecution's case and chose not to enter a plea, requesting a shortened right trial, which enabled speedy legal proceedings without any dispute against the evidence. Although the physical and circumstantial evidence against him was overwhelming, the case against him was strengthened when another woman testified that prior to Elisa's death, Rostevo had also invited her to the Church of the Holy Trinity under the guise of wanting to give her a present, just like he had done with Elisa. When he invited the woman up to the attic,

she felt uneasy and left. To the prosecutors, this helped paint a picture of the fade Elisa had likely endured back in 1993. On November 11, 2011, Danilo Rostevo was sentenced to 30 years in prison for Elisa Clapp's murder. Upon hearing the verdict, her family burst into tears. The diocese of Potanza applied to Sue Danilo Rostevo, claiming the murder and investigation had damaged the image of the Church. However, a judge rejected the application on the grounds that the Church of the Holy Trinity had failed to act responsibly. Since Elisa's body had been discovered, the Church had come under heavy scrutiny after it was revealed that in January 2010, two months before Elisa's remains were officially discovered, two cleaners had come

across the body in the attic. They notified the new priest in charge of the Church, who had in turn alerted the bishop. However, the grim discovery had not been reported to the police. When this revelation surfaced, the Church officials claimed ignorance, saying they had misunderstood the information. Whilst it was believed the cleaners didn't come forward to authorities out of fear. In another blow to the Church, a saw had been used to create a hole in the beams above the area where Elisa's body lay, indicating someone within the Church had been aware of the murder and fashioned a means for the smell of her decomposing body to escape. A search of the attic had also revealed a mattress stained with the semen of two unknown men.

Whilst this was deemed unrelated to Elisa's murder, it indicated the Church had been used for intimate acts, with rumours that former priest Father Don Mimi engaged in sexual activity with men up there. Following the exposure of the Church's dark side, the claps family released a statement to the Italian media which read, Once again, silence entered the tutelage of interests that have nothing to do with Christian values prevail over the piety that one should have for a lacerated corpse. We believe that this havoc definitely puts an entire community on its knees. In March 2012, Restivo's application to appeal his conviction for Heather Barnett's murder was rejected, but he was granted permission to appeal his life sentence. His lawyers argued that

it was unfair to his client that the prosecution had been allowed to use evidence from Elisa's murder at Heather's trial, and that in turn, he should at least be given the opportunity to have his sentence changed to include a minimum term. On November 21, 2012, the Court of Appeal overturned Restivo's life sentence, sentencing him to a minimum of 40 years imprisonment instead. Outside court, Heather's brother Ben expressed his disappointment at the decision, saying, I feel the original sentence was a just and right one. Whilst 40 years is long, it does not preclude Restivo killing again on release. Perhaps a whole life sentence would have given Restivo the opportunity to reflect upon what he has done. But somehow, I doubt that

this would have ever been the case. With Danilo Restivo now convicted for the murders of Elisa Klaps and Heather Barnett, investigators speculated whether he could be linked to other unsolved crimes. There were several other murders throughout Europe over the years in which female victims had their breasts mutilated, and it was theorized Restivo may have been responsible, but no clear links were established. There was also the disappearance of 27-year-old Korean woman Erika Ranzeman, who had vanished from her home in the northwestern Italian mountain region of Alvstar on April 20, 2003. Erika was never found, and following Restivo's arrest in Bournemouth, police conducted a search of his computer and found that he had saved an image of the missing

woman. Most compelling was his potential link to the death of 27-year-old Yong Ok Shin, better known as Okie, a South Korean student who was studying English in Bournemouth. At 3 a.m. on July 12, 2002, just four months prior to Heather Barnett's murder, Okie was walking home on a residential street after a night out with friends. She was just three blocks from Danilo Restivo's home when she was stabbed three times in the back. When paramedics arrived, Okie was still alive and was able to describe her attacker as a man wearing a mask. She was taken to Pool General Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries shortly after. There was no forensic evidence found at the scene, but residents reported hearing Okie's screams followed by the sound of

a car making a hasty U-turn and fleeing the area. Six weeks after Okie's murder, an informant named Beverly Brown told police that 27-year-old heroin addict Omar Bengwet was responsible for the crime. Beverly claimed she was driving Bengwet and two other men when he asked her to pull over. He proceeded to jump out of the vehicle and attack Okie after she refused his offer to join them. Bengwet was arrested and tried in court twice, but two mistrials were declared after the jury was unable to reach a verdict. The problem was that Beverly Brown was seen as an unreliable witness. She had made false accusations in the past, her stories were full of inconsistencies, and some jurors noted she appeared intoxicated when taking the stand in court.

In addition, CCTV footage obtained from the area of Okie's murder failed to place Beverly's car at the scene. But following a third trial in January 2005, Omar Bengwet was eventually convicted of Okie's murder. Despite having two subsequent appeals rejected, many continue to believe Bengwet is innocent of Okie's murder, with Danilo Restivo being the real culprit. Like his other victims, Okie was small, dark-haired, and attacked from behind on the 12th day of the month, which some have theorized may hold some significance to Restivo. It was also the 12th day of the month that surveillance police blew their cover in Thrupe Mill Park, as they were concerned he was about to launch another attack. Although the murder weapon used to kill Okie was never recovered, forensic evidence

has suggested the blade used was consistent with the knife police confiscated from Restivo, following his suspicious behavior in Thrupe Mill Park. Police also confiscated gloves and a balaclava from Restivo that day. In addition, unknown strands of hair were found on the pavement near Okie's body, but these may have come from a nearby hair salon. Although elements of Okie's murder did not coincide with Restivo's known MO, her attack was conducted at the opening of a narrow, secluded passageway, with theories circulating that Restivo may have intended to drag her there for a prolonged attack that was more fitting with his MO, but he was scared off when Okie started to scream. Omar Benguit is currently serving the 17th year of his prison

sentence for Okie's murder and continues to protest his innocence. Heather Barnett's family have made it clear they do not intend to let the evil actions of Danilo Restivo tarnish their cherished memories of their loving sister and mother, with her two children determined to live a life that would make her proud. During Restivo's sentencing, a statement prepared by Heather's daughter, Caitlin, was read aloud, declaring, I want to be known for who I am, not the daughter of a murder victim. What happened forced me to grow more quickly. I will never get the chance to say I love her or how I miss her. My home has been taken away and often never been back. I have chosen not to be a victim. I want my mum to be

proud. Following Restivo's conviction, Heather's sister Denise delivered an emotional statement to the press, which read, We had all looked forward to life getting a bit easier for Heather as the children entered their teens and left her more time for visits and activities away from home. The major sadness for her family is that, through her early death, she missed the joy of watching Caitlin perform on stage, do well in her exams, and develop her career. As Terry was a little older, she had been able to take pride in his mountain bike racing and interest in the technical side of bikes, but missed out on his career and interest in business. She would have been thrilled at the recent arrival of her nephew and of her niece's son,

and would have been busy knitting for them. Heather loved her children very much. She was kind and honest with strong ethical principles which she passed on to Terry and Caitlin. She always worked hard at whatever she did and built up a business on word of mouth and reputation. Heather was feisty, had a deep laugh, and a wicked sense of humour. The years since November 2002 have been difficult, but it has also been a time that has brought out the best in countless people, strangers, and friends alike. We see ourselves as survivors, not victims. The Church of the Holy Trinity in Potenza is now permanently closed. Prior to the discovery of Elisa's body and Ristivo's conviction for her murder, journalist Tobias Jones asked Elisa's

brother Jildo how he managed to keep going. Jildo replied, I made a promise to my sister many, many years ago. I promised I would bring her killer to court. When you've lived with this for so long, it becomes a part of you. I have a lot of fear about what will happen one day if it's all over. Having hunted and battled all those years, it will leave an emptiness when it's all over. Until you have certainty, until you find a body, there's no mourning. You can't work through your bereavement. You can never metabolise your pain. It's a suspension of life. Following Ristivo's guilty verdict years later, Jildo told the journalist,

I don't think, after everything we've been through, that we'll ever be at peace. But she can be. She can finally rest in peace.