Pacitalia
18-12-2005, 23:44
From La Posta di Timiocato
Murdered couple was Pacitalia's first ever same-sex knot-up
Investigations continue into this curious coincidence where two gay men are found stabbed to death
Margot Sparenza-Piruta, PaciNews | Puntafora
Two men found stabbed to death Wednesday in Puntafora's trendy Islands neighbourhood were coincidentally the very first couple to be married under Pacitalia's four-year-old same-sex marriage legislation.
Armano Pavvotto, 35, and Abelo Sant'Obrado, 32, were found murdered in their suite at the Hotel di Michelangelo in Puntafora's "Isolato" district. Each had more than twenty stab wounds to the chest, face and groin. To police, the crime appears to have been based not on their status as the first same-sex couple, but more as both a coincidence and a generalised slight to their sexual orientation.
"At this time, it is unlikely that the perpetrator(s) knew who [Pavvotto and Sant'Obrado] were, because when they were married, their names and faces were shielded from media and public access," Puntafora Police Service chief Renaldo Baradoni said, referring to the very first ceremonies which took place in the spring of 2001. Pacitalians were hugely in favour of the legalisation of same-sex marriage, but ultra-conservatives led by the Partia di Traditionale (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Partia_di_Traditionale) protested furiously to no avail. Admits Baradoni, "there were some people who were prepared to take it that horrible step further in order to prove their argument was, in their minds, valid."
He added that "it was most definitely a crime of passion based on their sexual orientation. The perpetrator(s) knew that these men were gay, but again, were probably oblivious as to the coincidental near-celebrity status of these two young gentlemen."
Puntafora Police Service criminalistics and detective officers are busy combing evidence for signs that the men were followed. Witnesses say they saw two men leaving a bar around 9.00pm Monday night, looking tense. One witness said the two were "constantly checking back over their shoulder, a little frightened looking". Criminalistics Department head Alfonso Chinalpo-Alomar says the two men were murdered sometime Tuesday. Housekeeping staff discovered them the next morning.
A massive manhunt has ensued across this nation, which has brought immense worldwide media attention on Pacitalia's sixth-largest city, containing nearly six million residents. Bloggers have sprung to the occasion, creating an awful sense of speculation in which more and more people are believing the killers knew who the men were. According to Technorati.pc, a site that monitors blogging worldwide, domestic blog updates increased 36.1% immediately following the discovery of the bodies.
A candlelight vigil adorned with thousands of supportive members of Pacitalia's gay community, complete with a shrine laden with teddy bears, flowers, beanie babies, pictures and other memorabilia graced Puntafora's Piazza Centrale from Thursday evening. Many have camped there the last few nights, waiting for the killers to be found.
Senior Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Adrian Copilul-Minune commented first on the tragedy. "Truly, this is a terrible moment, a stain on the corespective existence of homosexual and heterosexual Pacitalians. May those who perpetrated this awful crime be brought before the full extent of the law for punishment in this barbaric act." He added: "These killers did not just kill a gay couple; they killed two human beings, two Pacitalians. They must face the consequences of their actions."
Prime Minister Dr. Timotaio Ell commented shortly thereafter. "It frustrates me deeply that someone out there commits crimes based on sexual orientation. If we truly are a progressive society, we must learn to grow past these barbaric and archaic crimes of hate and discrimination for the universal better. My condolences go out to those affected by this event - your government stands beside you."
Recently elected Premerati of Amalfia province Cristofero Alberneri (NPA) also shared his thoughts on the tragic murder. "Now is a time for solidarity and unified strength against these opponents," he said in a statement released late Saturday. "We must not be afraid of these people - we have to stand strong and uphold our values."
Judicial experts, even our esteemed senior deputy PM, an accomplished criminopsychologist, are predicting the sentencing outcome should anyone ever be caught. As Dr. Copilul-Minune put it, "A crime based on hate in Pacitalian law fetches a minimum of 25 years, but parole is an option should rehabilitation for the inmate succeed. I would say that this would be the case for any defendant, but the severity of the crime could mean even 35 years for the convicted. However, given my office, it would be unwise for me to speculate further."
Whatever the case, police and the PCIC are working in conjunction with PSAT to track down the killers using satellite monitoring of the area around the bar, especially around the hour the two men left. Witnesses said they saw a man throw a bloody tissue into a trash receptacle less than one hundred meters from the Hotel di Michelangelo. Forensic officers recovered the specimen before City Works could remove the contents of the can, but say "the DNA sample retrieved has no bearing on their investigation until further evidence can include or exclude the specimen from our work".
The revelation arising from this is that the witness' account suggests there was only one person involved in the crime. However, forensics lead detective Caritolla d'Afina said that two types of footprints were found in the carpet of the suite and the prints do not match the shoes of Sgre Pavvotto or Sgre Sant'Obrado.
Bloggers fed more speculation after hearing of this, and one, Doctormessiah.pc, claimed "the amount of evidence the police have already found suggests that the crime has already been solved or will be very soon", an assertion contrary to police press communication.
d'Afina herself says that's not particularly true. "We have plenty of evidence, but this takes time to solve. We need to ensure we have the right suspects in our crosshairs."
A gag order has been issued on Doctormessiah.pc for "improperly reporting fact to mass public, spreading fear on incorrectly based and non-cited source and information, and showing disregard for the criminal laws and codes of the Democratic Capitalist Republic of Pacitalia." Some have labelled this a gross violation of civil rights, namely the Anarchist League of Pacitalia (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Anarchist_League_of_Pacitalia), and said that the prime minister is responsible, but the National Supreme Court of Pacitalia released a statement saying they were the institution responsible for the gag order. Dr. Ell did not hear about this gag order until he read about it Friday morning. Even then, he supports the decision. "This site is and was continuously spreading false information which is hindering the police department's ability to give the public the correct information regarding this case. We must all proceed cautiously and if people want to know the facts, they have to look to the accredited media sources."
Doctormessiah.pc has, because of the gag order, been disallowed from reporting on or discussing this crime and subsequent investigation. They may also, at a later date, be barred from discussing the trial, if a suspect is caught. The site owner may, after the trial, resume discussion or reporting on this incident, but until then, the site will be monitored and a violation of the gag order would result in a D15'000 fine or sixty days in prison.
Supporters of Doctormessiah.pc who say the site "is a victim of the decrease in democracy in Pacitalia", demanded Saturday the courts remove the gag order but the Supreme Court stands firm in its decision. 62% of Pacitalians support the gag order, while 31% oppose it. 6% were undecided.
Murdered couple was Pacitalia's first ever same-sex knot-up
Investigations continue into this curious coincidence where two gay men are found stabbed to death
Margot Sparenza-Piruta, PaciNews | Puntafora
Two men found stabbed to death Wednesday in Puntafora's trendy Islands neighbourhood were coincidentally the very first couple to be married under Pacitalia's four-year-old same-sex marriage legislation.
Armano Pavvotto, 35, and Abelo Sant'Obrado, 32, were found murdered in their suite at the Hotel di Michelangelo in Puntafora's "Isolato" district. Each had more than twenty stab wounds to the chest, face and groin. To police, the crime appears to have been based not on their status as the first same-sex couple, but more as both a coincidence and a generalised slight to their sexual orientation.
"At this time, it is unlikely that the perpetrator(s) knew who [Pavvotto and Sant'Obrado] were, because when they were married, their names and faces were shielded from media and public access," Puntafora Police Service chief Renaldo Baradoni said, referring to the very first ceremonies which took place in the spring of 2001. Pacitalians were hugely in favour of the legalisation of same-sex marriage, but ultra-conservatives led by the Partia di Traditionale (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Partia_di_Traditionale) protested furiously to no avail. Admits Baradoni, "there were some people who were prepared to take it that horrible step further in order to prove their argument was, in their minds, valid."
He added that "it was most definitely a crime of passion based on their sexual orientation. The perpetrator(s) knew that these men were gay, but again, were probably oblivious as to the coincidental near-celebrity status of these two young gentlemen."
Puntafora Police Service criminalistics and detective officers are busy combing evidence for signs that the men were followed. Witnesses say they saw two men leaving a bar around 9.00pm Monday night, looking tense. One witness said the two were "constantly checking back over their shoulder, a little frightened looking". Criminalistics Department head Alfonso Chinalpo-Alomar says the two men were murdered sometime Tuesday. Housekeeping staff discovered them the next morning.
A massive manhunt has ensued across this nation, which has brought immense worldwide media attention on Pacitalia's sixth-largest city, containing nearly six million residents. Bloggers have sprung to the occasion, creating an awful sense of speculation in which more and more people are believing the killers knew who the men were. According to Technorati.pc, a site that monitors blogging worldwide, domestic blog updates increased 36.1% immediately following the discovery of the bodies.
A candlelight vigil adorned with thousands of supportive members of Pacitalia's gay community, complete with a shrine laden with teddy bears, flowers, beanie babies, pictures and other memorabilia graced Puntafora's Piazza Centrale from Thursday evening. Many have camped there the last few nights, waiting for the killers to be found.
Senior Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Adrian Copilul-Minune commented first on the tragedy. "Truly, this is a terrible moment, a stain on the corespective existence of homosexual and heterosexual Pacitalians. May those who perpetrated this awful crime be brought before the full extent of the law for punishment in this barbaric act." He added: "These killers did not just kill a gay couple; they killed two human beings, two Pacitalians. They must face the consequences of their actions."
Prime Minister Dr. Timotaio Ell commented shortly thereafter. "It frustrates me deeply that someone out there commits crimes based on sexual orientation. If we truly are a progressive society, we must learn to grow past these barbaric and archaic crimes of hate and discrimination for the universal better. My condolences go out to those affected by this event - your government stands beside you."
Recently elected Premerati of Amalfia province Cristofero Alberneri (NPA) also shared his thoughts on the tragic murder. "Now is a time for solidarity and unified strength against these opponents," he said in a statement released late Saturday. "We must not be afraid of these people - we have to stand strong and uphold our values."
Judicial experts, even our esteemed senior deputy PM, an accomplished criminopsychologist, are predicting the sentencing outcome should anyone ever be caught. As Dr. Copilul-Minune put it, "A crime based on hate in Pacitalian law fetches a minimum of 25 years, but parole is an option should rehabilitation for the inmate succeed. I would say that this would be the case for any defendant, but the severity of the crime could mean even 35 years for the convicted. However, given my office, it would be unwise for me to speculate further."
Whatever the case, police and the PCIC are working in conjunction with PSAT to track down the killers using satellite monitoring of the area around the bar, especially around the hour the two men left. Witnesses said they saw a man throw a bloody tissue into a trash receptacle less than one hundred meters from the Hotel di Michelangelo. Forensic officers recovered the specimen before City Works could remove the contents of the can, but say "the DNA sample retrieved has no bearing on their investigation until further evidence can include or exclude the specimen from our work".
The revelation arising from this is that the witness' account suggests there was only one person involved in the crime. However, forensics lead detective Caritolla d'Afina said that two types of footprints were found in the carpet of the suite and the prints do not match the shoes of Sgre Pavvotto or Sgre Sant'Obrado.
Bloggers fed more speculation after hearing of this, and one, Doctormessiah.pc, claimed "the amount of evidence the police have already found suggests that the crime has already been solved or will be very soon", an assertion contrary to police press communication.
d'Afina herself says that's not particularly true. "We have plenty of evidence, but this takes time to solve. We need to ensure we have the right suspects in our crosshairs."
A gag order has been issued on Doctormessiah.pc for "improperly reporting fact to mass public, spreading fear on incorrectly based and non-cited source and information, and showing disregard for the criminal laws and codes of the Democratic Capitalist Republic of Pacitalia." Some have labelled this a gross violation of civil rights, namely the Anarchist League of Pacitalia (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Anarchist_League_of_Pacitalia), and said that the prime minister is responsible, but the National Supreme Court of Pacitalia released a statement saying they were the institution responsible for the gag order. Dr. Ell did not hear about this gag order until he read about it Friday morning. Even then, he supports the decision. "This site is and was continuously spreading false information which is hindering the police department's ability to give the public the correct information regarding this case. We must all proceed cautiously and if people want to know the facts, they have to look to the accredited media sources."
Doctormessiah.pc has, because of the gag order, been disallowed from reporting on or discussing this crime and subsequent investigation. They may also, at a later date, be barred from discussing the trial, if a suspect is caught. The site owner may, after the trial, resume discussion or reporting on this incident, but until then, the site will be monitored and a violation of the gag order would result in a D15'000 fine or sixty days in prison.
Supporters of Doctormessiah.pc who say the site "is a victim of the decrease in democracy in Pacitalia", demanded Saturday the courts remove the gag order but the Supreme Court stands firm in its decision. 62% of Pacitalians support the gag order, while 31% oppose it. 6% were undecided.