Sardinian Winemaker Confesses to Killing After Woman’s Disappearance Draws National Scrutiny

A well-known winemaker from northern Sardinia, Emanuele Ragnedda (image), has confessed to killing Cinzia Pinna, a 33-year-old woman whose disappearance earlier this month drew national attention in Italy. Pinna vanished after a night out in Palau, a port town on the island’s northeast coast, in the early hours of September 12. Security camera footage showed her walking unsteadily through the streets before getting into a car registered to Ragnedda.

Authorities say Ragnedda, 44, who owns the ConcaEntosa winery located about eight kilometers southwest of Palau, was under surveillance before his arrest. He was detained after attempting to leave Sardinia by boat from Cannigione, another nearby port. Police say he did not resist arrest and was taken into custody for questioning.

During four hours of police interrogation, Ragnedda admitted to killing Pinna. Investigators believe that after leaving Palau together, Ragnedda drove Pinna to his villa next to the winery. According to police reports and Italian media outlets, including Corriere della Sera and national broadcaster RAI, the two spent the night drinking alcohol and consuming other substances. Forensic teams from the Carabinieri’s RIS unit found blood stains throughout the house and on a sofa.

Ragnedda initially told police he woke up to find Pinna dead in a pool of blood and suggested that a 26-year-old gardener from Milan, who was also present at the party, might have been involved. However, he later changed his story and confessed to killing her himself. He claimed he acted in self-defense, saying Pinna threatened him with a knife, but investigators have questioned this version since she was unarmed and he had access to a firearm.

Ragnedda led police to where he had buried Pinna’s body on his estate grounds. The investigation is ongoing as authorities await autopsy results. In the room where the killing took place, police found bottles of alcohol and traces of cocaine.

The case has also drawn attention because of Ragnedda’s background. He comes from a respected family of winegrowers in Sardinia. His ConcaEntosa winery is known for producing some of Italy’s most expensive white wines, including the Vermentino-based Disco Volante label that sells for €1,300 per bottle.

In recent days, new details have emerged implicating Rosamaria Elvo, Ragnedda’s partner and a well-known restaurateur from San Pantaleo. Prosecutors in Tempio Pausania have placed her under investigation for allegedly helping Ragnedda clean up the crime scene after the murder. Authorities say Elvo assisted in removing blood stains from the house and accompanied Ragnedda to purchase a new sofa to replace one stained during the killing.

Elvo is now formally accused of aiding and abetting Ragnedda after the crime. The Milanese gardener who was initially suspected is also under investigation for allegedly helping conceal evidence.

Ragnedda has requested to return with investigators to his property at ConcaEntosa to help reconstruct what happened on the night of September 11-12. He maintains that he acted in self-defense but has provided conflicting accounts of events leading up to Pinna’s death.

The case continues to be closely followed across Italy as authorities work to clarify the circumstances surrounding Pinna’s death and determine whether others were involved in covering up the crime.