An Italian appeals court has upheld the convictions of two American men in the killing of an Italian plainclothes police officer during a failed sting operation five years ago but has notably reduced their prison sentences. Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth were initially sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the July 2019 killing of Carabinieri Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega. However, on Wednesday, the appeals court upheld their convictions but sentenced Elder to 15 years and 2 months in prison and Natale-Hjorth to 11 years and four months, along with an 800 euro fine.
Elder’s father expressed acceptance of the court’s decision, stating, “I don’t think we could ask for a reasonable, better decision today.” The two men, who were teenagers at the time of the incident, had met in Rome for a vacation and got involved in a fatal altercation with Italian police officers after meeting a purported drug dealer who turned out to be an informant for the police, resulting in the stabbing death of Cerciello Rega.
The Cassation Court ordered a retrial after overturning the initial convictions, stating that it wasn’t conclusively proven that the defendants, with limited Italian language skills, understood they were dealing with Italian law enforcement. The defense argued that the defendants were unaware they were facing police officers during the encounter, a claim reiterated during the new trial.
The prosecutor stated that they would review the court’s written reasoning before deciding on a possible appeal to the Cassation. Prosecutors had sought lengthier sentences for the defendants, and there is a consideration of appealing the new verdicts to potentially increase the penalties.
The widow of Cerciello Rega expressed devastation at the verdict, emphasizing the immense pain she has endured for the past five years. The killing of the officer had deeply impacted Italy, and he was honored as a national hero following his death.
Although Elder was held accountable for his actions, his mother stated that he is willing to take responsibility and move forward from the tragic events, hoping for a future that includes learning from the mistakes made.
