Woman Found Beheaded, Hidden in Suitcase in Murder Shaking Popular Tourist Destination
The discovery of a woman's remains, beheaded and concealed within a suitcase, has sent shockwaves through a popular tourist destination in Tuscany. Authorities confirmed the grim find occurred three weeks after Maria Denisa Paun, 30, vanished from her residence in Prato on May 15.
Her body was located near an abandoned farmhouse in Montecatini Terme, approximately 25 miles west of Florence, as reported by local media. The investigation took a dark turn when a local security guard confessed to the murder, detailing how he used a knife to decapitate her before attempting to destroy the evidence with gasoline.
Denisa, who worked as an escort, allegedly threatened to expose Vasile Frumuzache, 32, to his wife if he did not pay her a substantial sum of money. Prosecutors have charged Frumuzache, also a Romanian national, with murder and concealment of a corpse.
Frumuzache recounted to police that he met Denisa through a dating app and visited her at a hotel on the night of her death. After their encounter, she reportedly demanded around $11,450, claiming she would inform his wife about their meeting.
"She was blackmailing me, that’s why I killed her," Frumuzache allegedly stated. "When I told her I was a security guard and married, she said she could reach my wife."
Following the confrontation, he admitted to strangling Denisa, dismembering her body, and placing her remains into a garbage bag before transporting them to the secluded farmhouse. Security footage from the hotel captured Frumuzache arriving at 10:50 p.m. with a black bag and leaving shortly after with a white suitcase belonging to Denisa.
Investigators utilized GPS data from Frumuzache's vehicle, provided by his insurance company, to trace his movements post-disappearance. This led them to the farmhouse where they ultimately found Denisa's headless body along with the suitcase.
The case has captivated public attention in Italy, fueled by speculation that Denisa may have been abducted by criminal organizations after traveling from Rome to Tuscany last month.
