What happened
Sixteen-year-old Elisa Claps disappeared after going to a church in Potenza in 1993. Her remains were discovered in the church attic in 2010.
The investigation
Suspicion had long surrounded Danilo Restivo, who later moved to the United Kingdom and became connected to another murder there. The discovery of Elisa’s remains renewed the Italian prosecution.
What the courts or investigators concluded
Restivo was convicted in Italy of Elisa’s murder after also being convicted in Britain of killing Heather Barnett.
Why the case remains significant
The case raised painful questions about missed searches, institutional responsibility and how a suspect’s later behavior in another country can finally break open a decades-old disappearance.
Case context
Crime by Region organizes cases geographically so readers can move from one file to other investigations from the same country. For unresolved or contested cases, the wording above reflects the distinction between confirmed events, investigative theories and findings actually established in court.