Glamorous Italian Model Stabbed 20+ Times on Balcony: Police

An Italian model was brutally stabbed to. death on a balcony in Milan and her much. older boyfriend is believed to be the. culprit. Italian police say he was. caught red-handed in the middle of the. act. We are going to be taking a closer. look at this international investigation. with civil rights and criminal law. attorney Melba Pearson. Welcome to. Sidebar presented by Law and Crime. I'm. Jesse Weber. [Music]. People in Milan, Italy, heard screams. coming from a neighbor's apartment on. October 14th and rushed to try to help.

this woman. And what they found when. they busted into the unit was horrific. According to Italian news outlet Il. Masajo, 52year-old Gian Luca Sansen was. allegedly caught stabbing his ex, 29-year-old model Pamela Janini, over. and over and over again. Outlet Ilfato. Quotaniano reports that the young woman. died after Sansson dragged her out onto. the terrace of her apartment and stabbed. her 24 times. And I will tell you in a.

horrific twist, neighbors were able to. see what was happening. They just. couldn't do anything to stop it. Now, before I get into that, before I get. into the details of what happened that. night, I have to tell you a little bit. more about the people involved here, okay? So, you get a better sense of. this. According to Iljorno, Pamela was. originally from the city of Burggamo in. northern Italy. 10 years ago, when she. was 19 years old, she was part of an. Italian reality dating show called The. Island of Adam and Eve, which apparently. involves the participants competing. naked. This is according to the New York.

Post. Bill Garno also reports that she. co-founded a swimwear line with a. friend, apparently worked at a real. estate agency for wealthy clients in. Milan. Her social media posts almost. always featured her and small white. Chihuahua named Bianca, who by the way. also has her own Instagram profile. And. the suspect in this case, let's talk. about him, Gian Luca Sansson. This is. apparently an entrepreneur in the world. of luxury cars, according to Iljorno, but the New York Post reports that he. was actually arrested back in 2010 for. fraud. He was accused of selling.

hundreds of luxury cars between Germany. and Italy at artificially low prices to. evade taxes. Now, it's unclear if he was. ever convicted in that case, but the. allegation, there you go. And he's. reportedly very wellconed in Milan, by. the way. And according to reports from. Iljorno, lavished Pamela with gifts, took her on fancy vacations. Iljouro's. reporting also indicates that the two. had been in a relationship for more than. a year, but it was apparently a very. tumultuous and violent relationship. The. prosecutor's office, according to Kota.

Nazal, called the relationship. possessive. Neighbors told Illouro that. they would often hear fights inside of. Pamela's apartment. The police have had. to intervene before. The two reportedly. didn't live together, but neighbors. often saw Sansson there telling Iljal. that he was quiet, didn't talk much. But. it seems things really came to a head on. a vacation to the island of Elba. And. what was supposed to be a romantic. getaway turned into a huge confrontation. in which Sansson allegedly threatened to.

kill Pamela's dog. Remember the dog I. mentioned before? So reporter Foti Diano. Nazal wrote, this is translated from. Italian, in addition to threatening her. with bottle pieces in the hotel room, trying to throw her off the balcony, telling her that he would kill her, the. hotel staff had to intervene to assuage. the wrath of the 52year-old and remove. him. family friends. They told Italian. media outlets that Pamela wanted to. leave this guy. But Leunion Sarda. reports that Sansson had threatened to.

kill her and her mother if she ended the. relationship. So now I have to talk. about the night of October 14th when. Pamela lost her life. And to do that, I. want to welcome back on to Sidebar Melba. Pearson, civil rights criminal defense. attorney, former prosecutor, host by the. way of resident legal diva on YouTube. Hope everybody can check it out. Melba, so good to see you again. Thank you so. much for taking the time. Um, you know, I was saying to you, I know you may not. be uh an expert per se on Italian law, but unfortunately, you are an expert. when it comes to domestic violence, and.

domestic violence doesn't discriminate. It doesn't just happen in this country. It happens in other countries. It. happens in all sorts of relationships. Talk to me about the dangers of trying. to leave a relationship, particularly. when you hear the about these alleged. threats uh in something like this. um. you know what are the difficulties? What. are the resources let's say here in the. United States for someone to turn to? >> Yeah. So, always great to see you, Jeff. And first off, I want to center the fact. that this month is domestic violence.

awareness month. That's every October. So, uh that is definitely a moment to. pause and remember those whose lives. were lost as a result of domestic. violence as well as those folks who are. still trapped in these relationships. So, you know, my one message, if. anything that people can take away today. is that there are resources, there are. people that will believe you. There are. people that will help you. So, state. side, we have the National Domestic.

Violence Hotline, which is a a great. organization. Now, unfortunately, there. have been some federal cuts to funding. for some of these uh domestic violence. organizations, but they are still doing. the work. So, let's be clear on that. despite it might be, you know, a bit of. a trim down team, but they're still. fighting for their mission. So, you have. the domestic violence awareness hotline. You have organizations like RAIN, R A I. N. Uh, again, they deal with both sexual. abuse as well as domestic violence. So,

these are some ways that you can get. support. Just be very careful in doing. so. Like, for instance, you may not want. to look for these resources on a shared. computer. You may want to maybe go to. the library or use a friend's phone or. something along those lines so that you. can still keep yourself safe. But Jesse, the the worst and the scariest time for. a domestic violence survivor is when. they try to rel leave the relationship. That's because abusers, remember, this. whole thing is about power. This is not.

about love. It's not about anything else. other than pure raw power. And when an. abuser sees that that power is slipping. away from them, they lash out often in. violent ways. And tragically, that's. what we saw here. So, you know, that. that's not to say that you should stay. That that's not the point. It just. knowing that this is a very volatile. moment. It becomes critical that you. find that safety and resources so that. you can get out on the other side of. this. >> Is there something somebody should.

prioritize? Or maybe the better of a. question is, is there something somebody. in this kind of position should not do? How about that? >> Well, well, what they shouldn't do is. stay. That Let's start with that because. again, in these relationships, it never. gets better. It doesn't get better. So, leaving is critical. I would say that it. would be about engaging law enforcement. if you're comfortable. So, that way you. can maybe have tell the officers that. there's a situation and maybe they can. do extra patrols past your home.

Definitely tell your neighbors and. friends that hey listen if you see. anybody lurking around my apartment or. the job or anything like that. Uh you. know please call law enforcement. And I. think what also another thing a survivor. should not do is stay in silence because. again there's that embarrassment that. comes like oh I don't want people. knowing my business and this and that. But if folks don't know that you're in. danger, they may ignore signs that could. have enabled them to again reach out to. law enforcement if they saw your ex.

lurking in the parking lot outside of. work rather than you come outside and. then there's a horrible confrontation. So I think telling people is is. something that is very critical that. survivors should do, not suffer in. silence. >> By the way, you know why we're able to. bring you stories like this? It's not. only because of the amazing support that. we get from all of you out there. And. thank you so much for that, but also. it's because of the support that we get. from our incredible sponsor, Morgan and. Morgan, America's largest injury law. firm, a firm with over a thousand. attorneys. You know why they're so big? Because they win a lot. They have.

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fight for what you deserve? Morgan and. Morgan makes it so simple, you can start. a claim from your phone in just eight. clicks. So, if you're injured, you can. easily start a claim at. forthepeople.com/lcsidebar. by clicking the link below or scanning. the QR code on screen. Sansson allegedly stabbed Hamla 24. times. You know, we always talk about. how stabbing is typically considered a. very personal crime. What does that. number of wounds tell you? What does it. tell you about this suspect? What does.

it tell you about this crime? >> Pure anger. Pure rage. How dare you. leave me? H how dare you, you know, try. to assert your own power, you know, I'm. your, you know, you belong to me, you. know, and it again, just because of the. number, you're he's was clearly in a. rage. Now, this does not take away from. intent because uh granted Italian law is. very different in terms of how they. phrase things and you know potentially. uh the sentencing, but the mindset is.

still the same in terms of he went to. that house with the intention of killing. her and it was exhibited when he tried. to kill himself afterwards to escape. accountability. So that number of of. stab wounds shows again that rage, that. anger, and how dare you try and leave. me. You're my possession. >> Let's talk about the details of this. attack that night. It is disturbing. But. Pamela's ex, who's been identified by.

Quotiano Nazal only as Franchesco, uh. was on the phone with her apparently. And it's unclear if they were texting or. they were actually talking to each. other, but Pamela reportedly told him, according to Leun Sarda, "I'm scared. He's got a duplicate key. He's broken. in. I don't know what to do. Call the. police." Now, Franchesco did just that. He contacted law enforcement. They. rushed over to the apartment. And when. the officers got to the apartment. building, they had to be led into the. building. So Iljouro reports that they.

buzzed Pamela's apartment number 33 and. that is when she did something really. interesting here. So she responded on. the intercom saying only Glovo which. apparently is a delivery service in. Europe. It's similar to Uber Eatats or. Instacart. That's what we seem to. believe it is. And there's speculation. that Pamela was actually trying to let. them in without alerting Sansson right. to what was going on. Now according to. Iljouro's reporting she wasn't able to. get to the buzzer. tragically. But.

Melba, that's very smart. And I'm. wondering if that's something you've. seen before. >> Yes, absolutely. Because let's say if. you're on the phone with the police, you. have to play it off that, hey girl, do. you want to meet up for coffee or this. and that, you know, you try to play it. off so that you're not alerting your. abuser and they don't get that. opportunity to try to snatch the phone. away from you and break contact or to. harm you in the process because maybe, you know, at that point you have the. person at bay and you're able to now try.

and get help, get a call out. But by. saying, "Hi, you know, police come. here." that could aggravate the. situation and escalate it. So sadly, victims are in this uh place where they. have to deescalate while trying to find. a way to get out and get safe. So my. heart breaks that she was not able to. get to them in time. >> Now the a the agents here, they ended up. breaking down the door to the building, racing up to her apartment, and they. burst through the door. And what did. they find? They find Sansson reportedly.

stabbing Pamela repeatedly. So they rush. over. So they try to stop him and he. allegedly stabbed or sliced at his own. neck. Okay. He was rushed to a hospital. He survived. Pamela though, she was. pronounced dead inside the apartment. A. full-scale investigation was launched. Forensic teams were going over. everything inside the building as well. as Sansson's car which was parked out on. the street according to Iljouro. An. autopsy is expected to be completed next. week. And Eljouro also reports that. Franchesco went to the scene to speak.

with police, took Pamela's dog, the. Chihuahua, home with him when, you know, he left to make sure that she was cared. for. Melba, as I say this, on its face, it seems like a pretty open andsh shut. legal case, right? You know, police say. they broke in, they watched the. stabbing. What is the investigation. really? What kind of evidence do they. need to collect from a forensic point of. view? I mean, what answers are they. looking for? I don't know if it's. necessarily answers per se, but just. because of the fact that it would be.

open and shut that, oh, the officer saw. what happened doesn't take away from, you know, number one, uh, securing any. evidence, right? So whether it be the. knife, whether it be clothing, uh, all. of that. So that forensic evidence could. come in to play at trial. uh also trying. to let's say if he took the phone away. from her state side for instance in the. state of Florida and you know this is. where I spent my prosecutorial career. you know denying someone of the phone or.

denying them the ability to call 911 is. its own separate charge so those type. you know so recovering the phone could. be important from that perspective and. you know again if there's any other. evidence in terms of showing that the. two of them had a relationship maybe. there's photos that might be laying. around something like that again to. establish that the two of them had a. relationship because again I'm comparing. state side the defendant doesn't have to. speak so you may want to get more of. those kind of context and circumstantial.

evidentary kind of you know information. into play. So that could be part of it. and of course an autopsy to show that. the manner and means was homicide. Again, the the visual would do, but. there might be certain predicates that. the court would require. >> Now, Il Majerro reports that Sansson. spent one night in the hospital. Then, he was transferred to San Vtor prison. where he's reportedly being kept. isolated from other prisoners. Prosecutor Allesia Minazo, who works on.

cases that deal with gender-based. violence, perlo charged Sansson with. murder, the aggravating factors of. premeditation, stalking, femicide. This. is according to the New York Post and. the Post also reports that in Italy. femicide refers to the killing of a. woman due to genderbased motives or. domestic violence. Multiple outlets. report that Sansson has exercised his. right to remain silent, not saying. anything to investigators or the. magistrate during his first court. hearing. This is per IL Majerro. A.

courtappointed lawyer, Simona Luceri, told reporters on Thursday, two days. after the stabbing, he's not in a very. lucid condition. He has already. appointed a lawyer with whom he will. decide the procedural strategy. He is. not yet fully aware of what happened. Now Melba here in the states we would. talk about competency, right? We would. talk about does he appreciate, you know, actually the criminal process? Can he. assist in his own defense? Does he. understand the charges? You also wonder. insanity, you know, do you appreciate. the wrongfulness of your crime at that.

time? Could you distinguish between. right and wrong? Um could you conform. your actions to the law? I briefly. looked about whether or not insanity is. a potential defense in Italy. It appears. to be. I can't 100% confirm it, but talk. to me about generally speaking, is that. actually a viable defense in a brutal. domestic violence situation like this? Yes, it's a horrible crime, but the idea. of uh you know this happening was doing.

it, allegedly doing it. police come in. seemingly still trying to do it. You. know, you do wonder if mental health is. going to be the only defense for a. defense attorney. >> I mean, listen, thinking state side, everyone is entitled to a defense. They're not necessarily entitled to a. good defense or a winning defense, but. they are entitled to a defense. And so, you know, if if mental health is what. they have to try and move forward with. it, that that's about, you know, I think.

that's probably the most viable of them. all. Uh because, you know, the argument. could be that, well, he has, you know, SN had a basically a snap from reality, just like a temporal break in terms of, you know, something happened. Maybe it's. schizophrenia. Maybe it's, you know, something along those lines. But again, it would be a stretch, especially if he. hasn't had a prior history of, you know, mental illness or or mental breaks. Is. there anyone who can testify that, you. know, this is something that happens to. him when, I don't know, he drinks too. much or if he's under stress or.

whatever. Uh, but again, I don't think. it's viable that it's going to be. winning, but it is something that the. defense can argue. Now, the judge who saw Sansson during. this first hearing, it's called a um. it's basically like a preliminary. investigation judge, he was the one who. determined whether Sansson should remain. behind bars pending trial. And in court. documents that were reviewed by Il. Massero, the this judge said that. Sansson has reportedly made threats. against other people like Pamela's.

family, that he might be inclined to. target Franchesco, right? Pamela's ex. And by the way, her ex Franchesco, according to quotediano Nazanal, will. likely be a key witness in the. prosecution's case because he was one of. the last people, the very last people to. speak with Pamela. The outlet reports. that after he and Pamela ended the. relationship in 2022, they remained good. friends. He claimed she confided in him. about what was going on with Sansson, which means he can provide a lot of. insight into what Pamela apparently said.

happened. Now, Franchesco told the news. outlet that Pamela was often the victim. of violent beatings where Sansson would. allegedly threaten to kill her. His. translated statements include, quote, "About every 20 days, there were. episodes of physical violence." Now, Franchesca also claims that earlier this. year, Sansson went to Pamela's mother's. home, sent Pamela video to prove he was. there. Sansson allegedly said, "If you. leave me, I'll kill her." Melba I, you. know, I from a legal point of view, I'm.

not sure if that would be considered. hearsay in the United States, but uh and. whether or not investigators can use it. for verification, but it's definitely an. important part of the story. >> Absolutely. Because in a way, he's an. ear witness in terms of he may have. heard the beginning of the attack in. terms of, you know, oh my gosh, he's. that something's happening at my door. He's breaking down my door. Something. like that. And that would be admissible. just in terms of like the excited. utterance in terms of she, you know, talking to her, speaking to her state of.

mind in that moment. And so, yes, he's. going to be an absolutely critical. witness and all the majority of the. statements will come in and of course it. can be corroborated by law enforcement. that ended up, you know, breaking down. the door. But what the defendant here is. classic classic domestic violence. tactics in terms of threatening family. members, threatening the family pet. That's often one where you know the the. defendant may you know or the abuser.

would then you know knowing that the. victim loves their their their pet try. to harm them as a way of hurting or. controlling their victim. Same thing. with children. So, you know, again, there's so many different tactics. abusers use to try and keep that control. and that power over the survivor and. keeping them in fear. >> Now, when officers they searched his. home, Sansson's home, they found. multiple weapons. This is according to. documents that were reviewed by Ilma.

Maserro, including 10 knives, pistols. Uh Alisa B, this is uh Pamela's friend. and business partner who started the. swimwear line with her, posted on. Instagram that Sansson was quote crazy. and that she was devastated that she. wouldn't be able to grow old with her. friend. She also spoke with news outlets. about Pamela's relationship with Sansson. and her efforts to get her away from. him. Il Majgerro reports that she said, and this is translated from Italian, yesterday we were at lunch in Lugano.

She wanted to talk to me because she was. going to study psychology at university. I had to explain to her how the online. platform of the university worked. She. was very happy. She was going to be an. aunt and that made her very happy. With. Gian Luca, the relationship seemed to. have stabilized and maybe this was a. mistake giving confidence to a person. who did not want to do good. She was. undecided whether to report him. I don't. know if she did. Melba, what do you take. away from that? >> Just heartbreaking. Again, I mean, the. friend was there and tried to support. and I know that the friend must be just.

beyond devastated and wondering if there. was something else that she could have. done to try and help her friend and save. her friend. And the reality is she. probably did the best that she could. I. mean, no one has a glass, you know, a. fortunetelling type ability to know the. future and know that, oh, if I do this, it'll prevent this. she you know so I. hope that she rests in the fact that her. you know she did her the best she could. for her friend and again I I just my.

heart breaks for everyone involved in. this situation because that that is such. a tragic loss to see a life cut short in. such a horrible brutal way. >> and if the allegations are true I mean. it's a situation that uh I said the. allegations are true if they're true I. mean the evidence seems pretty. straightforward but based on the. reporting but it's a common situation. and it is difficult for people who are. around uh others in domestic violence. situations. When do you step in? How do. you step in? Who do you report? Is it. your responsibility to do you just. counsel the best that you can? It's a.

difficult line, right, Melba? >> Yeah, it is difficult because you're. concerned that wait a minute, if I call. and and report, is that what my friend. wants? Am I now placing myself in the. middle of something and I could become a. target of the abuser's anger? So there's. a lot of things to to think through. And. of course, everyone has to make the best. decisions based on the facts that they. know at that time. And if you're worried. about your safety, maybe you take a.

different tactic. Maybe you have those. uncomfortable discussions with your. friend as in what do you want me to do? Because you don't necessarily want to. step further than what the person wants. to do. But you should always do your. best to support them. let them know that. no matter what, you're never going to. judge them. That you're always there. because isolation is another key tactic. that abusers use. So letting the person. know, no matter what, I'm here for you, I think, is very critical so that the. victim when they want to step in and.

ready to step into survivorship, they. know that they have resources and. there's somewhere they can go. >> Melba Pearson, thanks so much for coming. on. It was great seeing you. >> Great seeing you, Jesse. Take care. And. that's all we have for you right now. here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so. much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should. get your podcast. You can follow me on X. or Instagram. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll. speak to you next time. [Music].