Donato Bilancia
Encyclopedia
Donato "Walter" Bilancia (born July 10, 1951) is a serial killer
who murdered 17 people – nine women and eight men – on the Italian Riviera
in the seven months from October, 1997 to May, 1998. He was sentenced to 13 terms of life imprisonment
, with no possibility of release.
, in southern Italy
, in 1951. When he was about five years old, his family moved to northern Italy, first to Piedmont
and then to Genoa
in the Liguria
region. He was a chronic bedwetter
until age 10 or 12, and his mother shamed him by placing his wet mattress on the balcony where it could be seen by the neighbors. When undressing him for bed, his aunt would shame him by pulling down his underwear in front of his cousins to show his underdeveloped penis. At age 14, he decided to start calling himself Walter. He dropped out of high school and worked at jobs such as mechanic, bartender, baker and delivery boy.
to the psychiatric division of the Genoa General Hospital, but escaped. After he was apprehended, he spent 18 months in prison for robbery. He served several prison terms in Italy and France for robbery and armed robbery. In spite of his history of psychiatric problems, up to age 47 he had no record of violence.
That same month, he followed a jeweler home to rob him, then shot him and his wife to death when the wife began screaming. He emptied their safe of jewelry.
He next robbed and murdered a money changer
. Two months later, he killed a night watchman
making his rounds, simply because he did not like night watchmen. He killed an Albanian prostitute and a Russian prostitute. A second money changer was killed next, shot multiple times and his safe emptied.
In March 1998, while receiving oral sex at gunpoint from a transsexual prostitute, he shot and killed two night watchmen who interrupted, then shot the prostitute, who survived to help develop a police sketch and later testify against him. He also killed a Nigerian prostitute and a Ukrainian prostitute, and robbed and assaulted an Italian prostitute without killing her.
On April 12, 1998 he boarded the train from Genoa to Venice because he "wanted to kill a woman". Spotting a young woman traveling alone, he followed her to the toilet, unlocked the door with a skeleton key
, shot her in the head and stole her train ticket.
Six days later, he boarded the train to San Remo and followed another young woman to the toilet. He used his key to enter, then used her jacket as a silencer and shot her behind the ear. Excited by her black underwear, he masturbated and used her clothes to clean up. The murders of two "respectable" women sparked a public outcry and the creation of a police task force
.
In his last killing before his arrest, Bilancia murdered a service station attendant after filling up with petrol, then took the day's receipts, about 2 million lira
(about $1000).
plus an additional 20 years imprisonment for the attempted murder of the transsexual prostitute. The judge ordered that he never be released.
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who murdered 17 people – nine women and eight men – on the Italian Riviera
Italian Riviera
The Italian Riviera, or Ligurian Riviera is the narrow coastal strip which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines...
in the seven months from October, 1997 to May, 1998. He was sentenced to 13 terms of life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
, with no possibility of release.
Background
Bilancia was born in PotenzaPotenza
-Transportation:Potenza is a rail junction on the main line from Salerno to Taranto, managed by FS Trenitalia; it has also a connection to Altamura, served by the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane regional company...
, in southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in 1951. When he was about five years old, his family moved to northern Italy, first to Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
and then to Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
in the Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
region. He was a chronic bedwetter
Enuresis
Enuresis refers to an inability to control urination. Use of the term is usually limited to describing individuals old enough to be expected to exercise such control.Types of enuresis include:* Nocturnal enuresis* Diurnal enuresis...
until age 10 or 12, and his mother shamed him by placing his wet mattress on the balcony where it could be seen by the neighbors. When undressing him for bed, his aunt would shame him by pulling down his underwear in front of his cousins to show his underdeveloped penis. At age 14, he decided to start calling himself Walter. He dropped out of high school and worked at jobs such as mechanic, bartender, baker and delivery boy.
Early crimes
While still underage, he was arrested and released for stealing a motor scooter and for stealing a truck loaded with Christmas sweets. In 1974 he was stopped and jailed for having an illegal gun. At some point he was committedInvoluntary commitment
Involuntary commitment or civil commitment is a legal process through which an individual with symptoms of severe mental illness is court-ordered into treatment in a hospital or in the community ....
to the psychiatric division of the Genoa General Hospital, but escaped. After he was apprehended, he spent 18 months in prison for robbery. He served several prison terms in Italy and France for robbery and armed robbery. In spite of his history of psychiatric problems, up to age 47 he had no record of violence.
The murders
Bilancia was a compulsive gambler who lived alone. His first murder was the October 1997 strangulation of a friend who betrayed him by luring him into a rigged card game, in which he lost £185,000 (about $267,000). The authorities originally thought this death was a heart attack. Bilancia's next two murders were the revenge shooting of the game's operator, and of his wife. He emptied their safe afterward. Bilancia later said these first killings gave him a taste for murder. In all his killings he used or carried a .38 caliber revolver loaded with wad cutter ammunition. He made no attempt to conceal his victims' bodies.That same month, he followed a jeweler home to rob him, then shot him and his wife to death when the wife began screaming. He emptied their safe of jewelry.
He next robbed and murdered a money changer
Money changer
A money changer is a person who exchanges the coins or currency of one country for that of another. This trade is thought generally to be the origin of modern banking in Europe....
. Two months later, he killed a night watchman
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
making his rounds, simply because he did not like night watchmen. He killed an Albanian prostitute and a Russian prostitute. A second money changer was killed next, shot multiple times and his safe emptied.
In March 1998, while receiving oral sex at gunpoint from a transsexual prostitute, he shot and killed two night watchmen who interrupted, then shot the prostitute, who survived to help develop a police sketch and later testify against him. He also killed a Nigerian prostitute and a Ukrainian prostitute, and robbed and assaulted an Italian prostitute without killing her.
On April 12, 1998 he boarded the train from Genoa to Venice because he "wanted to kill a woman". Spotting a young woman traveling alone, he followed her to the toilet, unlocked the door with a skeleton key
Skeleton Key
Skeleton Key is a rock band based in New York City. The band is the brainchild of bassist and singer Erik Sanko, who is the only constant member of the band...
, shot her in the head and stole her train ticket.
Six days later, he boarded the train to San Remo and followed another young woman to the toilet. He used his key to enter, then used her jacket as a silencer and shot her behind the ear. Excited by her black underwear, he masturbated and used her clothes to clean up. The murders of two "respectable" women sparked a public outcry and the creation of a police task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
.
In his last killing before his arrest, Bilancia murdered a service station attendant after filling up with petrol, then took the day's receipts, about 2 million lira
Lira
Lira is the name of the monetary unit of a number of countries, as well as the former currency of Italy, Malta, San Marino and the Vatican City and Israel. The term originates from the value of a Troy pound of high purity silver. The libra was the basis of the monetary system of the Roman Empire...
(about $1000).
Arrest
Based on the description of the black Mercedes one of his prostitute victims was seen entering the night she was killed, police considered Bilancia "suspect number one" and followed him for ten days. They collected his DNA from cigarette butts and a coffee cup, matching it to DNA found at crime scenes. On May 6, 1998 he was arrested at his home in Genoa and his revolver seized. After eight days in police custody he confessed, speaking for two days and drawing 17 diagrams.Sentence
On April 12, 2000, after an 11-month trial, Bilancia was sentenced to 13 terms of life imprisonmentLife imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
plus an additional 20 years imprisonment for the attempted murder of the transsexual prostitute. The judge ordered that he never be released.