Finnegan Elder and Gabriel Natale, 2019 saw the arrest of Californian college students in Rome, Italy, for the murder of Italian Carabinieri Deputy Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega. The defendants were convicted guilty of all charges related to the stabbing during a trial that garnered international attention and were given Italy’s harshest punishment, life in prison.
The saga started when Elder and Gabriel’s planned extortion scheme was thwarted by authorities, notably Mario Rega. The defendants claimed that the officers, who were dressed casually and lacked service weapons, failed to identify themselves. Elder said that he stabbed Mario out of self-defense after fearing for his life.
Finnegan Elder’s parents made their way to Rome
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Following Finnegan calling them inconsolably after the stabbing, Elder’s parents made their way to Rome.
On July 26, 2019, their son Finnegan and two Italian police detectives called Leah and Ethan Elder on FaceTime. Standing in the backdrop, crying, was Finnegan. Ethan and Leah told ABC that they were shocked by the call:
“Mom, It’s terrible, terribly bad,” he said. They’re saying that I killed a police officer, and then the phone just stopped working, he said. Yes, it was, and it was very terrible. Ethan and I probably couldn’t stand for very long. Following that, we both simply sat on the floor in this room and sobbed uncontrollably.
Finnegan’s parents were perplexed as to how their son had ended up in such a mess. They believed they had raised a moral son and were decent parents. Leah stated, “We went for family walks, and we have Sunday family dinners.
Finnegan Elder believed he was in imminent danger
After Officer Rega’s funeral, Leah and Ethan took a flight to Rome with little more than condolences for his widow. Ethan said to ABC:
“I’m simply terribly sad. I’m devastated that her husband was present and is no longer with us. And whenever I think of her, I just feel so much grief.
According to the investigative report, Finnegan attempted to purchase cocaine but escaped with the dealer’s bag after Italian police stopped the transaction. Gabriel and Finnegan said that they would only return the bag for payment. The owner of the backpack planned a meeting and invited authorities, including Brigadier Mario Rega. Following the altercation, Rega was allegedly stabbed eleven times by Finnegan.
Self-defense was Finnegan’s justification, and his parents concur.
Ethan added, “He was suffocating him and pinning him down.”
After Finnegan Elder’s conviction, Elder’s parents declared their unwavering support for him
Leah described her first encounter with Finnegan in prison to ABC as, “I could feel how much physical contact he needed, so I simply caressed him the whole time and held his hand.”
Leah was unable to conceal her shock as the jury’s verdict of guilty and her son’s life sentence in prison were read aloud. Ethan shouted, “Finnegan, I love you,” as the police escorted Finnegan out of the courthouse.
Leah and Ethan have suffered financially as a result of the litigation, although it is anticipated that Finnegan and Gabriel will appeal the ruling. The jury has 90 days to explain its judgments in great detail. Any appeal filed by the parties will be based on that report.
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