The key facts

  • Paolo Vaja was killed in 2019 by his live-in partners Patrizia Armellin and Angelica Cormaci for an insurance payout of €310,000
  • The court declared the policy invalid because the beneficiary killed the insured person, and the widow Roberta Bencini did not receive the payout
  • The woman was ordered to pay about €900 in court costs; the lawyers are preparing an appeal

Murder for insurance money

The story began in 2019, when the body of 56-year-old Paolo Vaja was found in the town of Vittorio Veneto. Two years earlier, the man had divorced his wife Roberta Bencini and started living with two women — Patrizia Armellin and Angelica Cormaci. The investigation established that his live-in partners killed him for the insurance money of €310,000: the victim was beaten with a stick, then an attempt was made to suffocate him with a pillow; the cause of death was compression of the chest. Armellin was sentenced to 24 years in prison, Cormaci to 16 years. This is reported by Gazeta.Ru citing Corriere della Sera.

Court leaves the money with the insurer

Shortly before his death, Paolo took out an insurance policy, naming Armellin as the sole beneficiary. However, under Italian law, a killer cannot receive money for the death of their victim. The victim's lawful wife then applied for the payout as an heir, but the court ruled that the insurance policy was invalid because its beneficiary had killed the insured person. Moreover, the woman was ordered to pay about €900 in court costs. This is reported by Corriere della Sera.

What's next

Bencini called the ruling absurd: according to her, the money the family had accumulated over many years effectively ended up with the insurer. The woman's lawyers intend to appeal the court's decision. The outcome of the dispute remains unknown — the publication does not report on any filed appeal or the timeline for its review.