American Artist Ashley Olsen, 35, Found Strangled In Italian Apartment - Florence, Italy

American woman Ashley Olsen found dead in Italian apartment

Richard Hartley-Parkinson for Metro.co.uk
Sunday 10 Jan 2016 3:21 pm


Ashley Olsen was found dead in her apartment in Florence (Picture: Ashley Olsen/Instagram)

Police in Italy are investigating the alleged murder of American ex-pat Ashley Olsen after she was found dead in her apartment in Florence.

The 35-year-old was found dead with bruising and scratches to her neck.

They have questioned her boyfriend, a local artist, but have so far said they do not have a suspect.

Read more:

http://metro.co.uk/2016/01/10/american-woman-ashley-olsen-found-dead-in-italian-apartment-5613661/#ixzz3wrILQNHl

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Boyfriend finds American artist slain in bed at Italian apartment

BY Nicole Hensley   /  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS / Sunday, January 10, 2016, 5:35 AM


Ashley Olsen, 35, a native of Summer Haven, Fla., seen posing with her dog named Scout, was found dead in her Florence, Italy, apartment over the weekend.

An American expat was found slain in her bed at an Italian apartment Saturday.

The victim’s boyfriend entered Ashley Olsen’s Florence apartment with the landlord’s help and found the 35-year-old artist with bruising and scratches to her neck.

Her death is a homicide investigation, although authorities have not determined if she was strangled. There was no apparent sign of a sexual assault or forced entry, according to Italian paper La Nazione.

The unidentified boyfriend said he had not heard from Olsen for several days after the couple fought, the Corriere Della Sera reported.

The victim had been dead for at least one day before he discovered her body in the apartment near the Piazza del Carmine, a public square in the city’s Oltrarno district.

Read more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/american-artist-found-slain-italian-apartment-article-1.2491456

Police probe American artist's death in Italy


Italian police officers stand outside an apartment where 35-year-old American woman Ashley Oslen was found dead, in Florence, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016. (Maurizio Degl'Innocenti/ANSA via AP)

Fanuel Morelli and Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press
Published Sunday, January 10, 2016 9:39AM EST  
Last Updated Sunday, January 10, 2016 10:31AM EST  

FLORENCE, Italy -- Police questioned the friends of an American found dead in her Florence apartment as Italy's expat community expressed hope Sunday that the case won't turn into another Amanda Knox-style, headline-grabbing legal saga.

Police opened a murder investigation Saturday after 35-year-old Ashley Olsen of Summer Haven, Florida, was found dead, her neck bruised and scratched.

Police said they questioned Olsen's boyfriend, a local artist, Saturday but that they have no suspect so far.

Meanwhile, friends and fellow expats expressed horror at the slaying of a woman known around Florence for her beagle, Scout, and said they hoped her killer would be found quickly.

"I can't imagine a person who would hurt her, she is a gentle, a kind, a beautiful, friendly, lovely girl and it's an awful shock," Amy, a friend who only gave her first name, told The Associated Press in Florence. "We've got a great community here of people and everyone loved her."

Friends and other expats expressed hope that the case wouldn't end up repeating the flawed, flip-flopping investigation into the last high-profile murder case of a foreigner living in Italy, that of Meredith Kercher.

Read more:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/police-probe-american-artist-s-death-in-italy-1.2730944

American Woman Found Dead in Florence Apartment: Italy Police

by Claudio Lavanga and Alastair Jamieson

Jan 10 2016, 7:49 am ET

ROME, Italy - A murder investigation was underway Sunday after the body of an American woman was found in her apartment in Florence, Italian police said.

Ashley Olsen, 35, was found with bruises around her neck, Florence prosecutor's office spokeswoman Maddalena Carosi told NBC News.

Her Italian boyfriend is not a suspect at present, Carosi said.

Local media reports said the body was found on a bed in the apartment, which is located in Florence's historic center.

La Repubblica daily said Olsen loved art and had organized events connected to the art world.

Read more:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/american-woman-found-dead-florence-apartment-italy-police-n493551

Italian police open murder inquiry into death of American woman

Body of Ashley Ann Olsen was found in Florence flat with marks on neck, say investigators piecing together her last movements

Police in Florence have launched a murder inquiry after an American woman well-known in the city’s artistic neighbourhood was found dead in her apartment.

Ashley Ann Olsen, 35, was found in her bedroom with marks on her neck that indicated she may have been strangled. Her body was discovered on Saturday after Olsen’s Italian boyfriend asked her landlady to open her apartment because she wasn’t responding to his calls.

Her boyfriend apparently became worried when he was not able to reach her, the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera reported. Both the victim’s boyfriend and friends are said to have spoken to investigators at length.

No suspects have yet been named by police and an autopsy is due to be carried out to confirm how Olsen was killed. Her phone and computer have been seized by investigators as they try to piece together her last movements, Italian media said.

Read more:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/10/italian-police-murder-inquiry-ashley-ann-olsen-florence

American artist, 35, found strangled to death in her Florence apartment: Italian police search for killer after Florida woman's body is found on her bed

. Ashley Olsen was found slain in her apartment in Florence
. She was found with her neck bruised and scratched
. Reportedly, her Italian boyfriend didn't hear from her for a few days and asked the flat's owner to open the door
. He called police but Olsen, who is believed to have originally been from Florida, had reportedly been dead for hours
. Florence prosecutors have since opened a murder investigation

By Associated Press and Myriah Towner For Dailymail.com

Published: 15:33 EST, 9 January 2016  | Updated: 06:23 EST, 10 January 2016

An American woman, her neck bruised and scratched, was found slain in her apartment in Florence on Saturday, Italian police said.

Maddalena Carosi, a police spokeswoman, said the woman has been identified as Ashley Olsen, 35, who had been living in Florence for some time.

Florence prosecutors have opened a murder investigation.


Olsen was found with her neck bruised and scratched

Police would not comment on Italian news reports that the woman had been strangled until an autopsy can be performed, but they did confirm Olsen had scratch marks and bruises on her neck.

Police also declined to comment on Italian news reports that Olsen's boyfriend, described as an Italian artist living in Florence, became worried when he did not hear from the woman for a few days and asked the apartment's owner to open the door.

Her boyfriend said that they had an argument and that he had not heard from her, according to La Repubblica Daily.

The boyfriend reportedly arrived at her apartment at about 1.30pm and rang the bell but it went unanswered before he contacted the owner and was let in and discovered her.


TV and local newspaper accounts said the body was identified by the victim's father, who reportedly teaches at a Florence school

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3391987/Italian-police-US-woman-slain-Florence-flat.html

American artist found 'naked and strangled to death in her Florence apartment' hinted on Instagram weeks ago that she may have had a stalker

. Twelve weeks ago Olsen shared a photo that showed her walking her dog and wrote in the caption she had a stalker with hashtag '#weirds***'
. She shared another photo that showed her shopping with the hashtags '#f***off' and '#creeper'
. There was reportedly no sign of forced entry in Olsen's apartment

By Anneta Konstantinides and Myriah Towner For Dailymail.com and Associated Press

Published: 12:07 EST, 10 January 2016  | Updated: 12:07 EST, 10 January 2016

An American woman who was found slain in her apartment in Florence hinted weeks earlier on Instagram that she may have had a stalker.

Ashley Ann Olsen, 35, was found naked with scratches and bruises on her neck on Saturday.

Olsen's body was discovered by her boyfriend, an Italian painter, who asked her landlord to open her apartment door after he hadn't heard from his girlfriend in three days.

Italian prosecutors have opened a murder investigation.  


Twelve weeks ago Olsen shared this photo on her Instagram and wrote in the caption that she had a stalker, including the hashtags #creeperintheback #creeperpic #weirds***'


Olsen also shared this photo nine weeks ago with the hashtags #f***off and #creeper, once again appearing to hint that she may have been followed. It is not clear who took the photos or how Olsen retrieved them

Olsen first shared a photo on Instagram 12 weeks ago that shows her back, a coffee cup in her hand as she walks her dog.

'I have a #stalker,' she wrote in the caption, adding the hashtags '#stalker #stalkeralert #creeperintheback #creeperpic #weirds***'.

Three weeks later Olsen posted another picture of her flipping off someone while browsing through clothes at the Piazza Santo Spirito.

Two of her hashtags in the caption read #f***off and #creeper'.  

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3392769/Ashley-Olsen-hinted-Instagram-stalker-weeks-dead-Florence.html#ixzz3wrcAkZjO

American artist, 35, found dead in her apartment in Florence, Italy

Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY 12 p.m. EST January 10, 2016



A 35-year-old American woman who was living in Florence, Italy, was found dead in her apartment, and police are investigating it as a homicide.

Ashley Olsen, originally from Summer Haven, Fla., was found Saturday with bruises and scratches on her neck, according to the Associated Press. Italian media reports characterized her death as possibly from strangulation. Police were questioning her friends and her boyfriend, who local media described as a 40-year-old Italian artist.

~Snipped~

Olsen was a familiar presence in the Florence neighborhood of Santo Spirito, where she lived with her pet Beagle, Scout, according to the AP. She had reportedly moved to the city a few years ago to be near her father, who is a professor there.

Read more:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/01/10/american-artist-35-found-dead-her-apartment-florence-italy/78590082/

Italian Police Vow To Find American's Killer

Friends and fellow expats express hope the investigation into Ms Olsen's killing won't be a repeat of the Amanda Knox case.

By Sky News US Team

Police in Italy have vowed "maximum attention" to find the killer of an American woman found dead in her Florence apartment.

Ashley Olsen was discovered on Saturday with bruises and scratches on her neck.

Local authorities questioned the 35-year-old victim's boyfriend but said they have no suspects at this point in the investigation.


Ms Olsen, 35, was born in Florida but had lived in Europe for some time

Italy's police chief, Alessandro Pansa, was quoted by the ANSA news agency as saying: "What happened in Florence is getting the maximum attention to find out what it's all about."

~Snipped~


Authorities removed Ms Olsen's body from her Florence apartment on Saturday

Read more:

http://news.sky.com/story/1620172/italian-police-vow-to-find-americans-killer

Instagram Pictures:

https://www.instagram.com/ashleyannolsen/

American Woman Found Dead in Florence Apartment: Italy Police

by Claudio Lavanga, Jacquellena Carrero  and Alastair Jamieson
Jan 10 2016, 3:14 pm ET


Ashley Olsen  | Photo: Rowena Bernardo

~Snipped~

Rowena Bernardo, a coworker and friend of Olsen's in Florence, remembered Ashley as one of the most wonderful people she had ever met. Bernardo and Olsen worked together in Florence's fashion industry.

"She can come out with great styling in a matter of minutes. All of our shoots, she styled herself," Bernardo wrote to NBC News in an email. "She is very smart and naturally cool. We would have drinks and would confide with each other on life and all.

"She is very dear to me, she is great as a friend and I consider her more of a younger sister."

Read more:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/american-woman-found-dead-florence-apartment-italy-police-n493551

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American Woman Killed in Florence, Italy


ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/american-woman-killed-florence-italy-36202310

Update

January 10, 2016, 3:05 PM
Italy fears Amanda Knox-style saga after American's slaying

"...FLORENCE, Italy - Police vowed "maximum attention" Sunday to find the killer of an American found dead in her Florence apartment as Italy's expat community expressed hope that the case won't turn into another Amanda Knox-style, drawn-out, headline-grabbing legal saga.

Police opened a murder investigation Saturday after 35-year-old Ashley Olsen (no relation to famous twin) of Summer Haven, Florida, was found dead, her neck bruised and scratched.

Authorities questioned Olsen's boyfriend, a local artist, Saturday but said they have no suspects so far...."

"...Olsen grew up in Summer Haven, Fla, near Jacksonville, reports CBS affiliate WTEV, and was a big part of the community, according to friends.

She enjoyed surfing and had many friends in the area.

"Ashley Olsen had an infectious personality and a smile that could light up a room. We met when I was just thirteen and it was like I had known her my whole life already," said Kate Linser Smith.

She described Olsen as a brave woman who walked her own path.

"Ashley lived life like it was an adventure. She loved art, music and especially fashion and was a notorious trend setter amongst our group of friends," said Smith. "Ashley was loving, kind and formed unbreakable friendships with all who were lucky to have known her. My heart goes out to her family during this terrible time of grief. Ashley Olsen's candle burned bright and the world is a bit dimmer now without her in it."..."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ashley-olsen-murder-italy-fears-amanda-knox-style-saga/

EXCLUSIVE: No evidence that American artist struggled with killer who strangled her with bare hands, autopsy reveals - as forensic police seize black bra near her home

. Ashley Olsen, 35, from Summer Haven, Florida, was discovered at the Florence apartment by her Italian-American boyfriend
. Federico Fiorentini asked the apartment landlord to open her door after he didn't hear from her for days after they had a fight
. Autopsy has found that bare hands were used to kill her, not any sort of ligature - and there were no signs of a struggle
. Police removed removed evidence including black bra from outside apartment building today
. Detective leading case is Domenico Giancinto Profazio, who also led probe into death of Meredith Kercher, leading to Amanda Knox's conviction

By Jake Wallis Simons In Florence, Italy, For Dailymail.com
Published: 14:44 EST, 11 January 2016  | Updated: 18:23 EST, 11 January 2016

The murderer of an American artist found dead in her Italian apartment used bare hands to strangle her to death, Daily Mail Online has learned.

Ashley Ann Olsen, 35, was found naked with scratches and bruises on her neck on Saturday in the apartment where she lived in central Florence.

An autopsy is being carried out, but medics have already established that she was strangled, and that no implement was used in her death, the source said.

The source also confirmed that Olsen's body showed no sign that she had engaged in a struggle before being killed.

Olsen's body was discovered by her boyfriend, Federico Fiorentini, 42, an Italian-American artist, who asked her landlord to open her apartment door after he hadn't heard from his girlfriend in three days.


Questioned: Italian-American artist Federico Fiorentini, 42, was held overnight by police after the body of his girlfriend was found. He was freed to go after being questioned by officers

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3394497/Killer-used-bare-hands-murder-American-artist-dead-Florence-autopsy-reveals-Amanda-Knox-detective-called-lead-investigation.html#ixzz3wzY6FKrq

Online Life of American Murdered in Italy Spurs Theories About Her Death

Stephan Faris / Rome @stephanfaris  4:15 PM ET

Amateur sleuths probe the Instagram account of Ashley Olsen

The aftermath of Ashley Olsen’s death is an example of how, in the age of social media, the private can suddenly turn very public.

The 35-year-old American woman’s body was discovered on Saturday, after her boyfriend persuaded her landlady to let him into her apartment in central Florence, Italy. By the next day, after the Italian press had broken the story, strangers had taken to Olsen’s Instagram page not just to post their condolences but also to search for clues and post theories about how she was killed.

“I never knew her but she looked like a sweet and beautiful person!!” wrote one commenter, while others engaged in extended back-and-forths on who might be responsible for her death: “This is the act of an enraged obsessed boyfriend who was just broken up with! Case solved!”

Read more:

http://time.com/4175876/italy-murder-ashley-olsen-florence/

January 11, 2016 12:24 PM

Investigators: friends say US woman stayed behind at club

By FANUEL MORELLI
Associated Press

FLORENCE, Italy  —  Friends of an American woman found slain in her rented Florence apartment have told police she stayed behind at a nightclub when they left, investigators said Monday.

Coroners began an autopsy on Ashley Olsen's body Monday afternoon. First results, including time and cause of death, could come as soon as Tuesday.

Investigators based in Florence's prosecutors' offices stressed that after questioning the 35-year-old woman's boyfriend, who is an Italian artist in the city, as well as friends of Olsen they haven't put anyone under investigation.

The investigators, who declined to be identified because the probe is still ongoing, said the woman's friends told them they were together with Olsen at a Florence nightspot late Thursday. According to their account, the friends decided to leave but Olsen remained there.

Read more:

http://www.centredaily.com/entertainment/celebrities/article54082975.html#storylink=cpy

Italian media: Ashley Olsen of U.S. may have been strangled with cord or rope (Video)

By Barbie Nadeau and Joshua Berlinger, CNN
Updated 8:50 PM ET, Tue January 12, 2016

Rome (CNN)—Investigators believe that Ashley Olsen, a 35-year-old American artist killed in Florence, might have been strangled using a rope or cord rather than bare hands, according to Italian media reports.

In their reporting, Italian news outlets did not specify the source of their new information.

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/12/europe/italy-american-woman-dead/

Ashley Olsen, American Artist Found Murdered in Italy, Was Strangled: Reports

By Steve Helling @stevehelling 01/12/2016 AT 05:45 PM EST

Ashley Olsen was a free-spirited artist who loved to laugh, paint and travel.

Originally from Florida, the 35-year-old had moved to Florence, Italy, a few years ago. Her father, an architect, lived nearby. She had a boyfriend and a tight circle of friends. She worked in the fashion industry.

But Olsen's life ended in tragedy last week when her body was discovered in her home. According to autopsy results released on Tuesday, she was strangled by either a rope or a cord-like object, NBC News reports.

Read more:

http://www.people.com/article/american-ashley-olsen-strangled-in-italy-reports

Father of American artist murdered in Florence speaks of 'heartbreak' as police reveal scene of 'chaos' in apartment where she was found strangled 'with a belt'

. Walter Olsen tells of devasation at murder of 35-year-old American woman found strangled in her Florence apartment
. Father is an art professor in city and splits time between there and his native Florida
. Dead woman's boyfriend Federico Fiorentini found her body and has now been cleared by police who say he has cast-iron alibi
. Police say there was chaos in the apartment as Fiorentini desperately tried to resuscitate his girlfriend after breaking in to find her dead body
. Hunt for killer concentrating on Olsen's night at notoriously sleazy nightclub - which has no working CCTV - where she drank before death

By Jake Wallis Simons In Florence, Italy, For Dailymail.com

Published: 17:45 EST, 12 January 2016  | Updated: 18:22 EST, 12 January 2016

The grief-stricken father of Ashley Olsen – the 35-year-old American woman found strangled to death in Florence, Italy – has spoken for the first time of his ordeal.

Walter Olsen, an art professor in the same city who lives round the corner from his daughter's apartment, called her 'beautiful and creative' and said he had faith in the murder investigation.

He spoke out as police sources said they were confident that the seedy nightclub where she was last seen by her friends was the key to finding her murderer, who an autopsy found used a belt or rope to kill her.

There was no evidence of a struggle, prosecutors said.

Detectives have also cleared entirely her boyfriend, Italian-American artist Federico Fiorentini, 42, has a watertight alibi, and confirmed that he is not a suspect.


Speaking out: Walter Olsen, pictured in Florence, said: 'She was a beautiful and creative young woman with a happy, exuberant and generous soul. We are heartbroken that she was taken from us.'


Couple: Federico Fiorentini (left) and Ashley Olsen (right) were together for seven years. Police say he is not a suspect. He found her body and tried to revive her with CPR.

'We are devastated that our precious Ashley has passed away resulting from a horrible and senseless crime,' he said.

'She was a beautiful and creative young woman with a happy, exuberant and generous soul, and she loved her life in Florence, in San Frediano.

'We are heartbroken that she was taken from us.'

After making an appeal for his privacy to be respected, he added: 'We have faith that the perpetrator will be found and sentenced. We thank everyone for their loving thoughts and prayers.'

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3396536/Father-Ashley-Olsen-American-artist-murdered-Florence-speaks-heartbreak.html

CBS/AP / January 13, 2016, 1:20 PM

Investigators return to slain U.S. woman's flat in Italy


This undated image shows 35-year-old U.S. citizen Ashley Olsen. An Italian prosecutor says an autopsy has determined that an American woman, whose nude body was found last week in her Florence apartment, was strangled with an object, likely a rope or noose. Prosecutor Giuseppe Creazzo cautions more time is needed to establish the time of death for Ashley Olsen, a 35-year-old U.S. citizen who lived in Florence for about three years. (The Florentine/Courtesy of Ashley Oslen friends via AP) / AP

MILAN -- Crime scene investigators returned Wednesday to the Florence apartment where a 35-year-old American woman was found strangled to death over the weekend, searching for clues to identify her killer.

Ashley Olsen was found nude on her bed in her rented apartment on Saturday after her boyfriend had the owner open the door, alarmed that the young woman had failed to respond to phone calls. The body had bruises and scratches on the neck, and an autopsy determined that she had been strangled with a cord or a rope.

Authorities have not identified a suspect. Italian media reports Wednesday indicated that investigators are narrowing in on a suspect, using video surveillance cameras along the route from the nightclub where she was last seen early Friday to her home, while also searching for clues in the apartment.

Read more:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ashley-olsen-death-investigators-return-to-slain-u-s-womans-flat-in-italy/

US woman in Italy 'strangled to death with rope or cord'

2 hours ago

An American woman living in Florence was strangled to death with an object like a rope or cord, an Italian prosecutor has said.

The naked body of Ashley Olsen was found last week in her flat, shocking friends and the local community who described her as "kind" and "gentle".

More lab results are needed to determine the time of the 35-year-old's death, prosecutors said.

Read more:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35299365

Friends and family 'devastated' by murder of American woman in Florence

Police have identified a suspect in the killing of Ashley Olsen, Italian media claims


Ashley Olsen Photo: Instagram

By  Nick Squires, Rome
1:46PM GMT 13 Jan 2016

Friends and family of an American expatriate murdered in Florence have said they are “devastated” by her death, as the Italian media reported that police had identified a suspect.

~Snipped~

Her body was discovered by her Italian boyfriend, Federico Fiorentini, a 43-year-old artist, who has been ruled out as a suspect after producing a cast-iron alibi.

At the time of the murder  he was reportedly driving from Florence to the Tuscan coast, heading to the island of Elba on a work project.

Police have studied hundreds of hours of video footage from security cameras located between the nightclub where Miss Olsen spent the early hours of Friday morning and her apartment in Via Santa Monica.

They have identified a man walking alongside her and have established his identity, Italian newspapers and news agencies reported.

Read more:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/nick-squires/12097235/Friends-and-family-devastated-by-murder-of-American-woman-in-Florence.html

Ashley Olsen murder suspect identified

Local police are closing in on a suspect in the homicide of the American woman

di ROSANNA CIRIGLIANO*

Florence, January 13, 2016
Local police are closing in on a suspect in the homicide of an American woman, Ashley Olsen, found dead in her apartment on January 9. Olsen was last seen alive close to dawn on January 8, when she, despite conflicting testimony, left an Oltrarno nightclub alone after an argument with the expatriate friends with whom she had arrived.  Police presume she had probably either called or sent a text to meet up with a man she knew; Olsen's cell phone is still missing.  Her Florentine boyfriend, who was to discover her body together with the landlady, was out of town.

Street camera images record Olsen walking towards Ponte Vecchio in the direction of her home, initially by herself, and later in the company of a man. Witnesses saw the couple. Further autopsy details have confirmed that Olsen had had sex, but was not sexually assaulted, just prior to her demise between 7 am and 1 pm. Then she was strangled with a cable or a cord.
 
After the preliminary January 11 autopsy, police returned to collect forensic evidence at the crime scene.  They refuse to comment whether there were narcotics in Olsen's home, although a drug pusher is believed to be the prime murder suspect.  DNA testing is underway on the evidence gathered.

Read more:

http://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2016/01/13/news/ashley_olsen_murder_suspect_identified-131165231/?refresh_ce

Reports: Man arrested in connection with death of American woman in Italy

By Barbie Latza Nadeau and Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Updated 0059 GMT (0859 HKT) January 14, 2016 | Video Source: CNN

(CNN)—A man has been arrested in connection with the death of Ashley Olsen, a 35-year-old American artist living in Florence, according to multiple Italian media outlets.

The reports did not identify the man and did not provide any detail.

Italian officials have not announced the arrest and CNN has not independently confirmed it.

Previously on Wednesday, a prosecutor and lead investigator in the case told media that police know the identity of a suspect.

It's not clear whether the man reported arrested was the same person mentioned earlier.

Investigators were able to identify the suspect in the image, taken from closed-circuit surveillance footage, investigator Domenico Giacinto Profazio said during an impromptu news conference. Prosecutor Giuseppe Creazzo told journalists the same thing.

Read more:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/13/europe/italy-american-woman-ashley-olsen-dead/index.html

Ashley Olsen murder: Man she met at Florence disco is arrested
01/14/2016

"...FLORENCE, Italy (AP) -- An American woman found dead in her Florence apartment had been brutally beaten and strangled, Italian prosecutors said Thursday. They suspect a Senegalese man she met at a disco who was detained after authorities received "decisive" DNA evidence from a condom and cigarette butt and he was found using her cell phone.

Cheik Tidiane Diaw, a 27-year-old who had arrived in Italy from Senegal in recent months, was arrested early Thursday at his brother's apartment and is being held on suspicion of aggravated homicide, Florence chief prosecutor Giuseppe Creazzo told a news conference.

Street-mounted security cameras and witnesses reported that Diaw and Ashley Olsen, 35, had left Florence's Montecarla nightclub in the early hours of Jan. 8 and went to her home.


Ashley Olsen. ( The Florentine/Courtesy of Ashley Olsen friends via AP))
Once there, they had consensual sex. But sometime afterward, Olsen's skull was fractured in two places with blows so violent they alone could have killed her, Creazzo said. She was subsequently strangled, apparently with a cord or rope...."

"...Police detained Diaw after DNA analysis came back from a used condom and cigarette butt found in Olsen's toilet, as well as biological samples taken from under her fingernails that belonged to Diaw, Creazzo said.

Investigators matched that evidence with a DNA sample taken from a cigarette Diaw smoked while being questioned at the police station, prosecutors said.

Diaw was also tied to the crime because he had taken Olsen's cellphone, put his own SIM card in it and used it, Creazzo said...."

"...Creazzo said Diaw had arrived in Italy illegally a few months ago to join brothers who had been there for some time. He told investigators he was working odd jobs, handing out flyers for local nightspots...."

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_29384741/ashley-olsen-murder-man-she-met-at-florence

Ashley Olsen: art community in shock over American's murder in Florence

Suspect’s lawyer says his client fought with Olsen after they had sex but she was alive on her bed when he left her apartment

man has been arrested in Florence on suspicion of the murder of Ashley Olsen, an American woman whose death last week sent shockwaves through the Italian city’s art community where she was well known.

Tidiane Cheik Diaw was arrested overnight on charges of aggravated murder following DNA tests on Olsen’s body and the collection of evidence from her apartment, where she died.

Prosecutor Giuseppe Creazzo said there was “strong evidence of guilt” against the accused, including DNA taken from a cigarette butt and a condom found in the apartment. Diaw, a Senegalese national, was allegedly found in possession of Olsen’s phone and had inserted his own sim card. He had entered Italy illegally a few months ago with the aim of joining his brother, Creazzo said.

Read more

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/14/ashley-olsen-man-held-suspicion-murder-florence

CBS News / January 14, 2016, 6:11 AM

New details, arrest in American woman's murder in Italy

Italian police have placed a man under arrest in connection with the murder of American Ashley Olsen.

The 35-year-old Florida native's naked body was discovered in her Florence apartment Saturday by her boyfriend.


American Ashley Olsen and the man arrested on charges of killing her, Senegalese national Cheik Tidiane Diaw
/ CBS News

Officials said the suspect, a 25-year-old Senegalese man identified as Tidiane Cheik Diaw, had only been in the country for several months and was working as a distributor for flyers for local nightclubs.

At a press conference Thursday morning, prosecutor Giuseppe Creazzo said Ashley Olsen had two fractures to her skull and had been strangled. There was also evidence of consensual sex before the murder.

Olsen was to be buried on Friday, and a huge turnout of from her neighbourhood is expected.

Read more:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/murder-in-italy-american-woman-ashley-olsen-suspect-arrested/

Ashley Olsen Murder: Italy Arrests Man Over Death of U.S. Woman

by Claudio Lavanga and The Associated Press

FLORENCE — A Senegalese migrant has been arrested in the murder of an American woman found strangled in Florence, Italian authorities said Thursday.

~Snipped~

An autopsy showed Olsen suffered two skull fractures and then was strangled, Florence Prosecutor Giuseppe Creazzo told a press conference Thursday. The fractures alone could have killed her, he said.

Creazzo said a suspect — Cheik Tidiane Diaw — has arrested on suspicion of murder after his DNA was matched to a cigarette and a condom.


Italian police arrested Diaw Cheikh Tidiane in the death of American Ashley Olsen.  Italian Police via EPA

CCTV footage also showed Diaw leaving Olsen's house, he told reporters, adding that Diaw had entered Italy illegally "a few months ago."



According to the prosecutor, Olsen and Diaw met in a local bar called Montecarla late on Thursday or early Friday and later went to her home where evidence suggested the two engaged in consensual sex.

"Then he probably slammed her head against something twice fracturing skill and then strangled her," Creazzo said.

~Snipped~

Creazzo said it was too soon to speculate on motive but that Diaw had been interrogated for several hours and charged with homicide.

Read more:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ashley-olsen-murder-italy-charges-man-over-death-u-s-n496286

Suspect denies killing US woman in Italy

Published: 9:28 am, Friday, 15 January 2016

Italian prosecutors have laid out evidence collected against a key suspect in the death of an American woman who was strangled and suffered deadly head trauma in her Florence apartment.

~Snipped~

Cheik Tidiane Diaw, a 27-year-old who had arrived in Italy from Senegal in recent months, admitted under questioning that he and Ashley Olsen, 35, had fought violently after a night of drugs and sex but denied strangling her and said he never intended to kill her, his lawyer revealed.

~Snipped~

Street-mounted security cameras and witnesses reported that Diaw and Olsen had left Florence's Montecarla nightclub in the early hours of January 8 and went to her home.Once there, they had consensual sex.

But sometime afterward, Olsen's skull was fractured in two places with blows so violent they alone could have killed her, Creazzo said.

She was subsequently strangled, apparently with a cord or rope.

Read more:

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/europe/2016/01/15/suspect-denies-killing-us-woman-in-italy.html

She left the club when they closed for the night. I think he followed her.

From the article published by firenze.repubblica.it:

"Street camera images record Olsen walking towards Ponte Vecchio in the direction of her home, initially by herself, and later in the company of a man. Witnesses saw the couple. Further autopsy details have confirmed that Olsen had had sex, but was not sexually assaulted, just prior to her demise between 7 am and 1 pm. Then she was strangled with a cable or a cord."

http://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2016/01/13/news/ashley_olsen_murder_suspect_identified-131165231/?refresh_ce

The sex could have taken place after she was dead (post-mortem).

Of course he told the Police the sex was consensual and that she was alive after he left even though they supposedly "had a violent fight", that is how the police come up with the theory that he hit her on the head and strangled her after they had sex. He is not going to admit to the violence that led to her death.

IMO

Lawyer: Suspect left Florence victim alive after fight

2016-01-14 22:58

Florence - The lawyer for the main suspect in the death of an American says his client fought with the woman after they had sex and did drugs, but that he left her alive on her bed and had no intention of killing her.

Attorney Antonio Voce told The Associated Press on Thursday that Cheik Tidiane Diaw, a 27-year-old from Senegal, reacted badly when Ashley Olsen tried to push him out of her apartment after they had consensual sex in the early hours of January 8.

~Snipped~

Voce said Diaw punched Olsen in the neck and pushed her to the ground, where she hit her head, after she pushed him twice.

He said Diaw helped her up and left her on the bed, but never strangled her and had no intention of killing her.

Read more:

http://www.news24.com/World/News/lawyer-suspect-left-florence-victim-alive-after-fight-20160114

Ashley Olsen's Final Steps in Italy

Alex Marquardt retraces the final night of the American woman who was found dead in Florence.


ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

http://abcnews.go.com/International/video/ashley-olsens-final-steps-italy-36295980

Alessandra_Deux wrote:She left the club when they closed for the night. I think he followed her.

From the article published by firenze.repubblica.it:

"Street camera images record Olsen walking towards Ponte Vecchio in the direction of her home, initially by herself, and later in the company of a man. Witnesses saw the couple. Further autopsy details have confirmed that Olsen had had sex, but was not sexually assaulted, just prior to her demise between 7 am and 1 pm. Then she was strangled with a cable or a cord."

http://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2016/01/13/news/ashley_olsen_murder_suspect_identified-131165231/?refresh_ce

The sex could have taken place after she was dead (post-mortem).

Of course he told the Police the sex was consensual and that she was alive after he left even though they supposedly "had a violent fight", that is how the police come up with the theory that he hit her on the head and strangled her after they had sex. He is not going to admit to the violence that led to her death.

IMO

"..."had a violent fight", that is how the police come up with the theory that he hit her on the head and strangled her after they had sex...."

Because we usually have violent arguments after (or before) having sex, right??
That is sarcasm by me for a stupid statement the suspect offered up.

Ashley Olsen funeral: family and friends mourn loss of murder victim in Italy

Parents thank authorities for their ‘swift apprehension’ of suspect as lead prosecutor prepares evidence to present to judge


Walter and Jennifer Olsen parents of Ashley Olsen, attend their daughter’s funeral in Florence. Photograph: Reuters

Friends and family of an American woman killed in her Florence apartment gathered on Friday for her funeral in her adopted Tuscan homeland as authorities prepared to present their case to a judge against the prime suspect in her slaying.

Friends carrying red, white and pink roses joined relatives of Ashley Olsen, 35, and her beloved beagle Scout for the funeral inside the Santo Spirito basilica. Olsen’s boyfriend, Federico Fiorentini, entered the basilica holding a bouquet of flowers and held Scout on his lap during the service.

In a statement released just hours before Olsen’s funeral, Paula and Walter Olsen thanked Italian authorities for their “swift apprehension” of Olsen’s alleged killer.

Read more:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/15/ashley-olsen-funeral-florence-suspect-arrest

Family of slain American gather for funeral (Video)

Associated Press
By TRISHA THOMAS and NICOLE WINFIELD
9 hours ago
     
FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Friends and family of an American woman killed in her Florence apartment gathered Friday for a funeral and burial in her adopted Tuscan homeland as authorities prepared to present their case to a judge against the prime suspect in her slaying.

Read more:

http://news.yahoo.com/family-slain-american-thank-italy-swift-arrest-105014910.html#

Ashley Olsen: Italian judge upholds arrest of suspect in American's murder

No formal charges have been lodged against Cheik Tidiane Diaw
Autopsy determined victim was strangled and suffered skull fractures


The suspect denies strangling Olsen, contending he pushed her to the floor twice after she shoved him in what he described as humiliating attempt to make him leave the apartment. Photograph: Maurizio Degl Innocenti/EPA

Associated Press in Florence

Saturday 16 January 2016 13.41 EST  Last modified on Saturday 16 January 2016 13.43 EST

An Italian judge on Saturday upheld the arrest of a Senegalese man jailed in the killing of the American woman Ashley Olsen, the suspect’s lawyer said.
 
The judge questioned Cheik Tidiane Diaw, suspected of killing Olsen, at a closed-door hearing earlier in Florence to determine if he should stay in jail. The lawyer, Antonio Voce, said judge Matteo Zanobini ruled Diaw should remain behind bars.

While prosecutors have accused Diaw of aggravated homicide, no formal charges have been lodged.

~Snipped~

Lab analyses following last week’s autopsy are expected to determine exactly what substances Olsen had consumed. Voce said Diaw has told investigators that he and Olsen consumed “a lot of cocaine and a lot of alcohol”.

Speaking by telephone from Florence, the lawyer also said his client Diaw told the judge at the hearing that he used Olsen’s telephone to try to call for help.

Read more:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/16/ashley-olsen-italian-judge-upholds-arrest-murder-suspec

________________________

^^^

"Investigators said he had taken her cell phone, put his own SIM card in it and used it."

Read more:

http://metro.co.uk/2016/01/14/ashley-olsen-murder-man-arrested-as-police-reveal-details-of-her-final-moments-5622292/#ixzz3xcT1bGme

Ashley Olsen's cell phone was missing from the scene of the crime, when Tidiane Cheik Diaw was arrested, her phone was found in his possession, he put his own SIM card in her cellphone and was using it to make personal calls. Why would he call for help if he has claimed that she was alive when he left her apartment? It doesn't make sense.

Freckles wrote:

Alessandra_Deux wrote:She left the club when they closed for the night. I think he followed her.

From the article published by firenze.repubblica.it:

"Street camera images record Olsen walking towards Ponte Vecchio in the direction of her home, initially by herself, and later in the company of a man. Witnesses saw the couple. Further autopsy details have confirmed that Olsen had had sex, but was not sexually assaulted, just prior to her demise between 7 am and 1 pm. Then she was strangled with a cable or a cord."

http://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2016/01/13/news/ashley_olsen_murder_suspect_identified-131165231/?refresh_ce

The sex could have taken place after she was dead (post-mortem).

Of course he told the Police the sex was consensual and that she was alive after he left even though they supposedly "had a violent fight", that is how the police come up with the theory that he hit her on the head and strangled her after they had sex. He is not going to admit to the violence that led to her death.

IMO

"..."had a violent fight", that is how the police come up with the theory that he hit her on the head and strangled her after they had sex...."

Because we usually have violent arguments after (or before) having sex, right??
That is sarcasm by me for a stupid statement the suspect offered up.

And what a coincidence that Anne Swaney, the American journalist that was murdered in Belize, was also strangled and suffered skull fractures like Ashley Olsen did. When Olsen's body was found, she was wearing only socks; Anna Swaney's body was found face down in a river, the only piece of clothe she was wearing was her bra. And, the Belize police stated that they were indications that she was sexually violated.

Welcome to Our New Site LawNewz.com

ABC News chief legal analyst and attorney, Dan Abrams, launched LawNewz.com on Tuesday — the only website to offer real-time legal analysis on the day’s top stories.

“This is a site a longtime in the making after all my entire professional career has been focused on covering high-profile cases,” Abrams said.

.....hey folks.  This may be a good site to keep handy for future cases.  I've always liked Dan Abrams and I think he offers good insight.  

Just FYI!

http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/dan-abrams-launches-new-law-and-crime-website-2/

Oops...I meant this post to go in Developing Stories....not sure how to move it.

Sorry!

Weeziethm wrote:Oops...I meant this post to go in Developing Stories....not sure how to move it.

Sorry!

I moved it over with a cut/paste.
To help you out, on Developing Stories, it can get confusing.
Go to the main index for Developing Stories.
About the second entry down under Sticky, click on that to post those odd/unusual/first time postings you want to share or preserve...

Ashley Olsen's family defend murdered artist's character from 'offensive' media

Parents say the depiction of the 35-year-old Florida native who was killed in her adopted city of Florence was contrary to ‘Ashley’s morals, beliefs and personality’

Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Rome

Tuesday 9 February 2016 12.54 EST  

The parents of Ashley Olsen, the American woman who was murdered in Florence last month, have denounced the “offensive” media coverage of her case, saying that the depiction of their daughter as a party girl who had made a fatal mistake by bringing the wrong man home was contrary to “Ashley’s morals, beliefs and personality as we know her”.

Read more:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/09/ashley-olsens-family-defend-murdered-artists-character-from-offensive-media

Ashley Olsen death: Family defend slain artist from 'offensive' media coverage

By Pietro Lombardi, for CNN
Updated 8:43 AM ET, Wed February 10, 2016



(CNN)—The family of Ashley Olsen, the American artist slain in Florence a month ago, broke their silence, criticizing the "offensive" media coverage of her story.

"Some of the reports in the media and statements made by the man accused of taking her life (who was not an acquaintance of hers) are contrary to Ashley's morals, beliefs and personality as we know her," her parents Walter and Paula and sister Gabrielle wrote in a letter released Tuesday.

Olsen, who was originally from Summer Haven, Florida, was found strangled at her apartment in Florence. A man has been arrested in connection to her death, but his attorney said her death was an accident.

~Snipped~

"The fact that she spent her last hours in a club is not a sin nor should it be used to judge her character or her lifestyle. It is therefore unacceptable, offensive and deeply wrong to think -- as has been insinuated -- that she "deserved what later happened to her" simply because she allowed a stranger in a public place to talk to her."

"While, we cannot bring Ashley back, we can help keep her legacy as a beautiful, kind-hearted woman alive," they wrote in the letter, which also describes how she fell in love with Florence and then fulfilled her dream of living in Italy, while pursuing a passion for art and fashion.

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/10/europe/ashley-olsen-family-letter/index.html

^^^

"The fact that she spent her last hours in a club is not a sin nor should it be used to judge her character or her lifestyle. It is therefore unacceptable, offensive and deeply wrong to think -- as has been insinuated -- that she "deserved what later happened to her" simply because she allowed a stranger in a public place to talk to her."

Thank you! She was not doing anything to earn or deserve her death.
Terrible to try to invoke a "lack of morality" or a "she was asking for it" plausability.