Italy: Another Horrific Murder: German Woman Beheaded

Hat tip Gates of Vienna

Moroccan man in custody

A 44-year-old German woman was found decapitated in an open area in Scandicci, Florence province, Italy, on February 18. A 30-year-old Moroccan man is in custody and charged with the murder. He is identified as Issam Chlih, from Morocco. Chlih is previously known to police for drug and robbery offenses. He was living illegally in an abandoned farmhouse.

We are working on providing English subtitles to an Italian news video on this incident. Meanwhile, the article below from Sky TG24 is translated by Fousesquawk.

A woman decapitated in Scandicci, 30-year-old homeless man arrested: Machete was seized

20 February 2026 at 12:59 

The man, already known for previous arrests connected to drugs, was living illegally in a farmhouse where the body was found. In the past few days, after having gone on a rampage in the same area of the former National Research Council (Cnr), he was subjected to compulsory medical treatment and taken to a hospital. He is now under guard and in custody. The body of the victim was discovered on the evening of February 18: She is a 44-year-old woman, also without any fixed address.

At the location of the discovery of the corpse, in the area of the former Cnr in Scandicci, in Florence Province, the Carabinieri also found a machete and a bloody knife that were seized. The suspected killer, on the same evening of the discovery of the decapitated body, was placed into compulsory medical treatment because of his outbursts in the area of the abandoned farmhouse in which he was living illegally. Located and taken to a hospital by the Carabinieri, he is now under guard and close surveillance. The 30-year-old, as explained by Colonel Luigi De Simone, is under serious suspicion of homicide  in terms of “conclusive evidence against him”,  including findings “found, such as possible crime weapons, some items of clothing, which are being checked for blood traces, in addition to other investigations.” Furthermore,”there has been confirmation with the interviews of witnesses, analysis of the images from video-surveillance, and findings at the scene of the crime”. 

Awaiting the autopsy

According to initial investigations, the victim knew her killer. In fact, according to the Carabinieri commander, Luigi De Simone, the two had been previously observed and questioned together. As stated, the man had already been known to law enforcement, who, however, had no knowledge of the woman living in the province of Florence. It is not known “how long she was here”. We are conducting checks”, the colonel stressed, adding that the latest details as to the cause, the date, and time of death will have to await the autopsy. At this time, De Simone concluded, the causes and motives of this cruel act will be investigated in depth, which we reserve the right to investigate with the judicial authorities”.