The Disappearance of Roberta Martucci

 

The Vanishing

More than 23 years have elapsed since the departure of the late summer evening when the 28-year-old Roberta Martucci disappeared. Since that fateful day on August 20, 1999, every trace of this young woman has dissipated. Her flowing chestnut locks, a radiant smile, a black floral skirt, stiletto heels, and a charcoal jacket.

Roberta’s enigmatic disappearance orbits around the Apulian towns of Torre San Giovanni di Ugento and Gallipoli. The former was the picturesque village where she resided and set off from in her car on that August evening, while the latter was the coastal town where she intended to meet a friend for shopping.

Who Was Roberta?

According to her sister Lorella, she was a serene and composed young woman. Lorella played a significant role in the reopening of the case, which subsequently led to charges being leveled against a man closely associated with Roberta. She had recently parted ways amicably with her long-term partner. As the youngest of five daughters, Roberta was gainfully employed at a retirement community. She resided with her mother and sisters, and she was friends with two girls from Gallipoli, Rory and Cinzia.

Timeline & Events

On August 20, 1999, around 8:00 AM, Roberta was luxuriating in a brief vacation. It was the day her sister Sabrina returned from Bologna after pursuing her studies at the local university. Roberta was prepared to accompany her aunt, uncle, and sister Gina for a day at the beach.

At 9:00 AM, according to telephone records, Roberta engaged in a five-minute conversation.

At 9:30 AM, Roberta received another call, lasting 45 minutes. Witnesses observed Roberta departing from her relatives, gesticulating and pacing restlessly along the beach. She seemed engrossed in a heated exchange.

Upon concluding her call, Roberta rejoined her family. She remained composed for the rest of the day. During lunch with her aunt, uncle, and mother, Roberta expressed her intention to attend a party in Gallipoli in the evening.

Preparation

At 8:20 PM, Roberta borrowed a skirt from her sister Lorella for the outing. She adorned a gray pearl top, revealing her bare back. She accessorized with gold earrings featuring blue gemstones. Then she donned a hand-knit gray jacket. Sabrina requested a ride in Roberta’s car. The two siblings departed from their residence, beginning their journey in a white Fiat Uno. Tragically, Roberta would never return.

At 8:45 PM, Roberta responded to a call, “Hi, Rory. If you choose to believe Cinzia, go ahead. I cannot converse at this moment.” Sabrina’s friend's house was 200 meters away from the Martucci residence.

By 9:30 PM, Rory, the friend Roberta intended to meet, grew agitated due to her tardiness, a departure from her typical punctuality. Rory tried to contact Roberta, but her attempts proved futile. Roberta’s phone appeared to be switched off.

At 11 PM, Rory composed a message to her friend, stating “ROBERTA NON FARE SCHERZI” (Roberta, do not play tricks).

On August 21, 1999, around 3 AM, Roberta’s cellular phone rang thrice, then fell silent forever.

Investigations

In the afternoon, law enforcement officials questioned several members of Roberta’s family. Her uncle and aunt mentioned the two calls which Roberta answered on the morning of the 20th. Her brother-in-law Donato recounted witnessing her agitation during that encounter.

On August 23, 1999, a note was received at Donato’s sister’s workplace.

“Hi, I’m Roberta. I wished to inform you that I am alive.”

A phone call was received by the Carabinieri station on August 24, 1999. The owner of Bar Stella, situated on Via Genova in Gallipoli, reported the presence of the white Fiat Uno as mentioned in the newspapers. It was parked in front of the establishment. The informant vehemently asserted that the car was not there the previous night.

The ignition keys and registration papers were absent. The only remnant of Roberta was her gray jacket resting on the backseat. No fingerprints were traced, yet a handwritten note was discovered. “I love you, my sweet love.” The vehicle was found near Rory’s residence and Cinzia’s workplace.

Donato’s Statements

Donato spontaneously made another statement to the Carabinieri on September 6, 1999. He revealed that he drove through Via Genova on August 23 at 10:30 PM and observed the absence of Roberta’s Fiat Uno.

The Carabinieri in Casarano drafted a restitution report in favor of Laudina on January 15, 2000. She was Roberta’s sister and Donato’s wife. Laudina drove the car to their mother Concetta’s house, where it was parked. Concetta used the car over the following months. The car was released without ignition keys or registration papers.

Witnesses’ Statements

In the ensuing months, numerous reports concerning Roberta surfaced. A viewer of the well-known television program “Chi l’ha visto?” asserted they spotted her at a renowned club in Milan. A fabulist insisted they witnessed her savoring a Viennetta at a local restaurant. An individual even claimed to encounter Roberta within a dream where she was murdered and concealed within a trullo (a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical roof).

The Disappearance Dilemma

In addition to the note in the car, various missives were received by family members or authorities. A fax arrived at a Taranto newspaper.

“Roberta Martucci is alive. However, she’s in poor health. She will only make contact with family members.”

The Lecce prosecutor’s office received another fax in 2007. It implicated Roberta’s two friends, Rory and Cinzia. It also suggested that they be incarcerated for a few months to elicit information.

“Regarding Roberta’s tragic disappearance, I inform you that she has departed. However, those two friends have full knowledge in Gallipoli.

The investigators endeavored to pursue various leads, including drug-fueled gatherings in Gallipoli. It was initially alluded to nine months after Roberta’s disappearance by Donato, who allegedly knew about her unsavory associations through an acquaintance. Rory and Cinzia were subjected to scrutiny. Nevertheless, this trial proved fruitless. Investigators, however, are convinced that the two young women downplayed their connection to Roberta before her disappearance. Police investigated repentant members of the mafia from Salento and Calabria, but they provided no assistance to the investigation. The hypothesis of a jealous former boyfriend was subsequently dismissed.

Donato, the Suspect

Seven years after Roberta’s disappearance in 2007, Donato gave an interview. He informed the investigators that he and Laudina received the car registration from the Carabinieri in Casarano when they released Roberta’s car. Regarding the ignition keys, he stated that they already had a duplicate set. Donato was questioned again on June 13, 2018. This time, he became a prime suspect in the case. He claimed to have no recollection of the car registration or the ignition keys. When confronted with his previous statement, he maintained no memory of it. But he insisted that the car was released without keys. A conversation between Donato and his wife was intercepted on June 14, 2018. Donato threatened to lie if the investigation implicated him.

Sabrina’s Allegations

During an episode of the TV program “Chi l’ha visto?” in 2019, Sabrina disclosed that she endured sexual abuse from her brother-in-law Donato since she was 16 years old. She also revealed that she confided in her sister Roberta. (Donato confirms this allegation, but too much time has elapsed for him to face prosecution for this crime under Italian law.)

Criminologists Isabel Martina and Roberta Bruzzone, along with Roberta’s sister Lorella, successfully convinced investigators to reopen the case. They argued that Donato was directly involved in the disappearance and that Sabrina’s accusations were crucial to understanding his motive. Roberta’s family divided into two factions. On one side were Lorella and Sabrina, and on the other side were the remaining two sisters and their mother, who defended Donato.

Roberta’s case closed in 2022. The charges against Donato were dropped. The judge, in his preliminary hearing, reported the motivation behind the dismissal. He stated that "there exist mere suspicions and conjectures against the suspect, lacking concrete and precise factual evidence to warrant a trial.