Woman jumps to her death after strangling 4-year-old son in the woods

On August 3, Viviana Parisi and her son Gioele Mondello were reported missing in Sicily, Italy. Locals, police and members of the army searched for the mother and son. Eventually, the woman was found dead days after the missing persons report. On August 19, the search for Gioele also came to an end when his remains were found almost 100 meters away from where the woman's body was found. Daniele Mondello refuses to believe the claims that his wife strangled their son before jumping off of an electricity pylon.

Parisi, a Turin born Disk Jockey reportedly told her husband that she was taking their four-year-old son with her to go shopping. Daniele could not get in touch with his wife after she left their home without carrying her cell phone. He waited for them to return, but when they failed to do so, they were reported missing. A massive search was launched to find the missing duo.

Surveillance footage showed that the Opel Corsa Parisi was driving was headed towards a viaduct on the Messina-Palermo motorway. The vehicle was found abandoned near the Caronia woods. Police were able to find a family that claimed to have seen the two before they went missing. The family told the police that the vehicle had a small accident involving a van in a tunnel. While the family tried to help the 43-year-old woman, she seemed agitated. Eventually, she abandoned the car at the spot and walked off with Gioele in her arms.

The search team began combing the Caronia woods. The unrecognisable body of Parisi was found on August 8, around 500 meters from where she had left the car. Her body was identified by the wedding ring on her finger. The body was lying face down close to an electrical pylon and it had been eaten by animals. Post mortem reports revealed that the woman had suffered a broken back.

The search for Gioele continued until one of the volunteers found a highly decomposed corpse hidden in the woods. His corpse had also been eaten by animals.

According to The Sun, the police believe that Parisi strangled her son and hid his body. Then she climbed the pylon and jumped to her death. The woman had reportedly been worried for her family and the COVID-19 lockdown had impacted her mental health. She had reportedly tried to take her own life in June as well.

Despite the authorities claiming murder-suicide, the bereaved husband does not believe his wife could harm their son. He continues to stick to the initial reports of the mother and son being victims of an animal attack.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts about suicide, the Samaritans provide a free support service for those who need to talk to someone in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Visit Samaritans.org or call 116 123 (UK) or 116 123 (ROI), 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Visit this website to find a support phone number in your country.