Police find stabbed Florida man in southern Italy

An American man was fatally stabbed by his business associate in southern Italy's Puglia region after fighting over finances.

Photo: Police find stabbed Florida man in southern Italy

The victim, identified by his family as Carlo Giacci, was found dead Wednesday morning in his home in Serracapriola, near the Adriatic coast about 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Foggia, police said.

His associate, Theodore Middlebrook Solano, was arrested and confessed to knifing the victim but said he did so in self defense, said carabinieri Cmdr. Orlando Narducci, in nearby San Severo. The two men, who both had Florida drivers' licenses, worked in developing speculative real estate for tourism in southern Italy and throughout Europe, Narducci said.

Solano, who was born in Colombia but was also a U.S. citizen, told police that the two had fought over finances and the fight got out of control, Narducci said.

Police were called to the home after getting a tip from a friend of Solano's. They found Giacci dead in his apartment on the ground floor of the building, with two knife wounds, and Solano asleep in his apartment upstairs. Narducci said the home had been completely cleaned up, except for a few blood stains in the bathroom. "It was the cleanest crime scene I've ever seen," he said in a phone interview.

Reached in Florida, the victim's brother, Ken Giacci, said he had been informed of the incident earlier in the day by the U.S. Consulate. "He did pass away last night and I'm in shock," he said.