Rome – The Rome Criminal Court has sentenced Mark Antony Samson to life in prison for the murder of his former girlfriend, Ilaria Sula. The decision was handed down on Tuesday, October 27, in the court of first instance. Samson had confessed to the crime.
The defendant was not present when the verdict was handed down. The court announced its decision after about three hours of deliberation in the high-security courtroom at Rebibbia Prison. Sula’s family and friends followed the trial.
Ilaria Sula: The prosecution had sought a life sentence
The prosecution had sought a life sentence for Samson. The charges included intentional homicide under aggravating circumstances and the concealment of the body. Among other things, the prosecution cited premeditation, trivial motives, and the prior relationship as aggravating circumstances.
The defense, on the other hand, had requested that these aggravating circumstances be excluded and that general mitigating circumstances be recognized. The verdict just announced was handed down by the court of first instance.
The student was killed in March 2025 in her former partner's apartment in Rome's Africano neighborhood. Her body was later found near Capranica Prenestina, outside the capital.
Sula's parents had attended every court hearing. After the verdict, they said justice had been served; however, no decision could bring their daughter back to them.
