'Serial killer' Silvio Mangion gets life for 1984 murder

Silvio Mangion, 45, from Zejtun sentenced to life for the murder of Rozina Zammit

MaltaToday.com.mt

June 24, 2010

Judge Joseph Galea Debono yesterday presided over his last jury trial by sentencing Silvio Mangion, known as Kalang, to life imprisonment for the murder of Rozina Zammit back in 1984.

Mangion was already serving a 21-year prison sentence for the murder of his neighbour and has yet to be put on trial for a third murder. The 45-year-old, from Zejtun, found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, was dubbed a ‘serial killer’ by Galea Debono and “a threat to society that could not be trusted.”

He was found guilty by a jury of eight votes in favour and one against, for killing Zammit at 2pm on 8 February, 1984 with 37 stab wounds. He had stolen a mere Lm200 (466) from Zammit.

Mangion later confessed to police to the murder of two other victims – murders that had been a mystery until when Mangion started talking about them to inmates at Corradino Correctional Facility.

Mangion murdered Francesco Cassar, 75, his neighbour in 1998, for which he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He is now awaiting trial for the murder of Maria Stella Magrin, 68, who was killed with 13 stab wounds in her house in Bormla. In this case, Mangion was accompanied by two other Zejtun men who are today dead: one of them committee suicide after being arrested in 2005, although he had confessed to his and his uncle’s involvement in the murder.

Zejtun man accused of killing woman 21 years ago

My 15, 2005

A 40-year-old man from Zejtun who is under psychiatric care and serving a sentence for homicide was yesterday charged with another murder dating back to February 1984.

Silvio Mangion, who is in prison for murdering Frenc Cassar in 1998 and for trying to kill his sister, yesterday pleaded not guilty to the murder of Rozina Zammit, 54, when arraigned in front of Magistrate Lawrence Quintano.

Zammit was found dead in her Safi house, Triq Hlantun, with around 30 stab wounds.

Mangion admitted recently when being interrogated by the police that he had murdered Zammit.

Mangion was also charged with holding an unlicensed firearm, accused of holding the victim against her will and of the theft of less than Lm1,000, aggravated by violence, from Zammit’s house.

Police investigators indicated they had linked Mangion to the murder after they searched extensively inside a water reservoir in Zejtun where it was believed that the alleged murderer had thrown his weapon.

The accused was remanded to custody. The court said it was denying him bail as there was a possibility that he might leave the islands or repeat the crimes he stood accused for.

Police Inspector Chris Pullicino, who led the investigations into the case, is prosecuting together with Assistant Commissioner Emanuel Cassar and Superintendent Peter Paul Zammit.

Renzo Posella Flores is assisting the accused as defence lawyer.

Lawyers Charmaine Cheret and Franco Debono represented Zammit’s family parte civile.

Man confesses 1984 murder

The police revealed in court that Silvio Mangion, accused of Rozina Zammit’s murder 21 years ago, confessed in prison that he committed the crime.

Police Inspector Chris Pullicino explained the terrible details that led to the murder. The victim was discovered dead in her house in Safi with stab wounds on her neck, chest and abdomen.

Inspector Pullicino explained that Mangion admitted that on the day of the murder, he had followed her on her way back from the 1900 CET Mass and knocked on the door of her residence. As soon as she opened the door, he attacked her and she started shouting. At this point, he stabbed her on the chest and neck and headed towards the bedroom and asked her for money.

Unfortunately, Rozina Zammit died after a while as a consequence of the grievous injuries.

The man, 40, from Zejtun is accused of the woman’s murder on 8th February 1984 and of stealing from her Lm200.

Dr Renzo Porsella Flores, who is appearing for the accused, declared that he will present a request in court for the accused to be examined by a mental psychiatrist.

The case will continue on 2nd June.

Silvio Mangion admits complicity in another murder

Silvio Mangion, who was accused of Rozina Zammit’s murder in 1984, admitted his complicity in the murder of another elderly woman Stella Magrin. The woman was killed on 30th October, 1986 in the woman’s residence in Triq Erin Serracino Inglott, Cospicua.

After interrogating the man, 40, from Zejtun, the police discovered that three persons are involved in the murder. Apart from Mangion, a prisoner and another man who is today dead entered Stella’s residence on the day of the murder.

Silvio Mangion revealed the whole story of Stella Magrin’s murder. He stated that he did exactly as in Rozina’s murder.

Additionally, the prisoner involved in the murder was found in a cell at the Floriana Depot, attempting to commit suicide. Fortunately, he was rescued by the guards. He was taken to St Luke’s Hospital, where he was certified to be in a critical condition.

The police concluded that this is a case of a serial killer, since the person was involved in three murders and attempted murders, and used the same methods for the same purpose.

Serial killer involved in another murder

Nineteen years after Maria Stella Magrin from Cospicua was stabbed to death in her house, a confessant revealed the names of the two alleged murders, said Police Commissioner John Rizzo in a press conference on Tuesday evening.

Although the Police Commissioner did not disclose any names during the press conference, sources told press that one of the men involved in the murder was Silvio Mangion who is currently in jail serving other criminal and homicides sentences. He confessed with the police his involvement in the brutal killing.

Mangion was arraigned in court last week after another person confidentially informed the police that Mangion had fatally stabbed a woman in Safi around 21 years ago.

In connection with the Cospicua murder, another man from Zejtun was arrested on Monday morning while the other Zejtun man had died some years ago.

Awaiting trail on Wednesday morning together with Mangion, the man was locked up in the Depot but while under no direct surveillance by the police, the man grabbed a piece a cloth and was found hanged.

Police on duty immediately performed artificial respiration on the man and called on for professional medical assistance. Two nurses from St Luke's hospital assisted the man to hospital and he is currently in danger of losing his life.

Police will be arraigning both men in the following days.