A jury in Rome on Wednesday, May 5, delivered verdicts against Finnegan Lee Elder, 21, and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, 20, handing them life imprisonement for the murder of Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega, 35.



Elder and Natale-Hjorth, who became friends while attending Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California, were found guilty on all charges of homicide, attempted extortion, assault, resisting a public official and carrying an attack-style knife without just cause.


Prosecutors alleged that Elder stabbed Rega 11 times with a knife that he brought with him on his trip to Europe from California and that Natale-Hjorth helped him hide the knife in their hotel room.





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The stabbing occured on July 26, 2019, after Natale-Hjorth and Elder tried to buy cocaine with 80 euros ($96) from a man outside the hotel where they were staying in Rome's Trastevere district, but were sold a crushed-up bag of aspirin instead.


The pair then allegedly stole a bag belonging to the suspected drug dealer and demanded 100 euros and a gram of cocaine for him to get it back.


The man agreed and told the pair he would meet them to exchange the bag, but instead called police to report that he was stolen from.


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