The investigation into the violent murder of Federico Perissi, a 45-year-old Italian security guard from Florence, has led to the discovery that the entire incident was captured by a dashcam installed in Perissi’s red Toyota Yaris.
Il Terreno reported on Wednesday that investigators from Florence’s Flying Squad had obtained the footage, which reportedly shows the victim being repeatedly struck on the head with the butt of a firearm by the suspect, identified as Mor N’Diaye, an Italian-born former amateur MMA fighter of Senegalese origin.
During initial reports, La Nazione claimed the victim was “most likely also shot;” however, it later transpired the firearm in question was a starter pistol — one that fires blanks — and the butt of the pistol was used to inflict blunt force trauma to the victim’s skull.
The footage is believed to reveal that the gruesome attack occurred late on Sunday evening. However, it remains uncertain whether the initial attack killed the victim or whether subsequent injuries sustained after his body was dumped under an overpass near Lake Bilancino proved fatal.
An autopsy ordered by the Florence prosecutor’s office is expected to clarify the exact cause of death.
Mor N’Diaye, 41, known professionally as Jamie Mike Stewart, was arrested on April 14 after a dramatic series of events. N’Diaye, who recently worked as a security guard at a luxury store in Florence, was apprehended following an accident on the A-13 motorway near Ferrara, having crashed Perissi’s vehicle as he attempted to flee the murder scene.
He abandoned the vehicle and stole clothing from a nearby swimming pool locker room before later trying unsuccessfully to carjack another vehicle from a woman who resisted and called the police. Authorities eventually captured him, still in blood-stained clothing and in possession of the victim’s credit cards. During police interrogation, N’Diaye confessed to the murder.
Media reports on the incident remain light on facts, and it is unclear how Perissi and N’Diaye knew each other and in what capacity.
Both men had recent employment in security, and it appears N’Diaye had requested a ride from Perissi, who planned a short vacation in Austria. N’Diaye was reportedly attempting to flee Italy before the activation of his court-ordered electronic tag. The suspect was under house arrest at the time of the murder, facing charges of kidnapping, drug possession, and assaulting a public official stemming from an earlier incident on April 4.
Police located Perissi’s body late on Monday evening after tracing his active mobile phone signal, which led them to the site near Lake Bilancino.
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