Silvio Mangion

Case record: Silvio Mangion

Silvio Mangion, known as Kalang, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Rozina Zammit in 1984. He was from Zejtun and was 45 years old at sentencing. The judge, Joseph Galea Debono, presided over his last jury trial when he sentenced Mangion to life imprisonment for the murder of Rozina Zammit in 1984.

Background

Mangion had been serving a 21-year prison sentence for the murder of his neighbour. He had yet to be put on trial for a third murder.

Mangion was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Joseph Galea Debono dubbed him a “serial killer” and described him as “a threat to society that could not be trusted.”

The offence

Murder of Rozina Zammit (1984)

A jury found Mangion guilty of killing Rozina Zammit at 2pm on 8 February 1984 with 37 stab wounds. The jury returned a verdict of eight votes in favour and one against.

Mangion stole “a mere Lm200 (466)” from Zammit.

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

The police described that, on the day of the murder, Mangion followed her on her way back from the 1900 CET Mass and knocked on the door of her residence. When she opened the door, he attacked her and she started shouting. He stabbed her on the chest and neck and headed towards the bedroom and asked her for money. Mangion later confessed that Zammit died after a while as a consequence of the grievous injuries.

Investigation

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

Police Inspector Chris Pullicino led the investigations into the case.

Arrest / charging events

Pleaded not guilty (2005)

Silvio Mangion, who was 40 years old at the time, was charged with the murder of Rozina Zammit when arraigned in front of Magistrate Lawrence Quintano. He pleaded not guilty to the murder of Rozina Zammit.

At arraignment, 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.

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

Trial

Jury finding

Mangion was found guilty by a jury of eight votes in favour and one against for killing Zammit with 37 stab wounds at 2pm on 8 February 1984.

Sentencing

On June 23, 2010, Mangion was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Rozina Zammit.

Joseph Galea Debono presided over the sentencing as Mangion’s last jury trial.

Appeals

No appeals were included in the provided material.

Outcome

Mangion was convicted by a jury and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Rozina Zammit.

Aftermath

Confessions to other murders

Complicity in the murder of Maria Stella Magrin (date and trial status)

Mangion was accompanied by two other Zejtun men who were stated to be dead. Mangion was awaiting trial for the murder of Maria Stella Magrin, 68, who was killed with 13 stab wounds in her house in Bormla.

One of the men committee suicide after being arrested in 2005, although he had confessed to his and his uncle’s involvement in the murder.

Mangion admitted his complicity in the murder of another elderly woman, Stella Magrin. She was killed on 30 October 1986 in her residence in Triq Erin Serracino Inglott, Cospicua. After interrogating Mangion, the police discovered that three persons were involved in the murder. Apart from Mangion, a prisoner and another man who was today dead entered Stella’s residence on the day of the murder. Mangion revealed the whole story of Stella Magrin’s murder and stated that he did exactly as in Rozina’s murder.

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

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

Confession in prison regarding the 1984 murder (2005)

The police revealed in court that Mangion confessed in prison that he committed the crime.

The police described details of how Zammit was attacked and killed, including stabbing her on the chest and neck after she opened the door.

Nineteen years later press conference (2005)

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. Police Commissioner John Rizzo stated this in a press conference on Tuesday evening.

Although Police Commissioner John Rizzo 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 was currently in jail serving other criminal and homicides sentences. He had confessed to the police his involvement in the brutal killing.

Another arrest and death of another suspect (2005)

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 trial on Wednesday morning together with Mangion, the man was locked up in the Depot. 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 for professional medical assistance. Two nurses from St Luke's hospital assisted the man to hospital and he was currently in danger of losing his life.

Police would be arraigning both men in the following days.

People involved

Defendant

• Silvio Mangion (known as Kalang), from Zejtun; 45 years old at sentencing; found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia; sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Rozina Zammit.

Victims

• Rozina Zammit (54): murdered at 2pm on 8 February 1984; found dead in her Safi house, Triq Hlantun, with around 30 stab wounds; killed with 37 stab wounds.
• Francesco Cassar (75): Mangion’s neighbour, murdered in 1998; Mangion was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
• Maria Stella Magrin (68): killed with 13 stab wounds in her house in Bormla; Mangion was awaiting trial for her murder.
• Stella Magrin: killed on 30 October 1986 in Triq Erin Serracino Inglott, Cospicua; Mangion admitted complicity in her murder.
• Maria Stella Magrin is referenced as being stabbed to death in her house in Cospicua.

Judges and court officials

• Joseph Galea Debono: presided over Mangion’s last jury trial and sentenced him; dubbed him a “serial killer” and described him as “a threat to society that could not be trusted.”
• Magistrate Lawrence Quintano: arraigned Mangion for Rozina Zammit’s murder.

Police and prosecutors

• Police Inspector Chris Pullicino: led the investigations into the case; prosecuted together with Assistant Commissioner Emanuel Cassar and Superintendent Peter Paul Zammit.
• Assistant Commissioner Emanuel Cassar: prosecuted together with Police Inspector Chris Pullicino and Superintendent Peter Paul Zammit.
• Superintendent Peter Paul Zammit: prosecuted together with Police Inspector Chris Pullicino and Assistant Commissioner Emanuel Cassar.
• Police Commissioner John Rizzo: made statements in a press conference about the confessant revealing names of alleged murders.

Defence counsel and representation

• Renzo Posella Flores: assisting the accused as defence lawyer.
• Dr Renzo Porsella Flores: appearing for the accused; declared that he would present a request in court for the accused to be examined by a mental psychiatrist.

Lawyers representing the family parte civile

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

Timeline

• 8 February 1984 (2pm) — Rozina Zammit was killed with stab wounds.
• 1998 — Francesco Cassar, Mangion’s neighbour, was murdered; Mangion was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
• 30 October 1986 — Stella Magrin was killed in her residence in Triq Erin Serracino Inglott, Cospicua.
• February 1984 — A 40-year-old man from Zejtun under psychiatric care and serving a sentence for homicide was charged with another murder dating back to February 1984.
• 2005 — Mangion’s third-murder-related matter involved accomplice(s) who were later stated to be dead; one person was reported to have committee suicide after being arrested in 2005.
• May 19, 2005 — The police revealed in court that Mangion confessed in prison that he committed the 1984 murder.
• May 24, 2005 — Mangion admitted complicity in the murder of Stella Magrin.
• May 26, 2005 — Police Commissioner John Rizzo made statements in a press conference about a confessant revealing names of alleged murders; another man was arrested and later found hanged while in the Depot.
• June 23, 2010 — Silvio Mangion was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Rozina Zammit.
• June 24, 2010 — Reporting described the sentencing and characterization by Joseph Galea Debono.

Other details

“serial killer” “a threat to society that could not be trusted.”