The Catania Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into the death of a 54-year-old Carnival Cruise Line carpenter who died in a hospital in the Bahamas. Alfio Torrisi passed away in October 2023 while under medical care at the Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, Bahamas. He was hospitalized after falling ill aboard the cruise ship Carnival Paradise, where he was employed by Techni Teak, a company based in Riposto, Sicily. The Catania Prosecutor's Office launched an inquiry into his death, suspecting involuntary manslaughter.
The investigation into the death has taken a grim turn after an autopsy conducted on the remains revealed that his body was missing internal organs, adding a chilling dimension to the already tragic circumstances. The investigation faces significant challenges due to the absence of internal organs in Torrisi's body upon examination by the appointed forensic pathologist. Instead of organs, the body was filled with wood dust and newspaper clippings, presumably for preservation purposes. The Catania Prosecutor's Office requested clarification from the Bahamas hospital regarding the circumstances and the reason for the missing organs in an international letter, but as of now, there has been no response. The investigation file, which continues to hypothesize the crime of manslaughter, now expects to be able to recover the documentation from the Bahamas hospital regarding the hospitalization of Alfio Torrisi.
Provisional prosecutor Agata Santonocito initiated the process for an international rogatory commission to obtain necessary evidence. The inquiry commenced on November 9, 2023, following a complaint filed by Torrisi's wife. Allegations of hazardous working conditions, including long hours exposed to extreme weather, have been raised by the Torrisi family against Techni Teak, with legal representatives of the company refraining from comment pending access to case documents.
Rosaria Torrisi, Alfio's sister, expressed disbelief and anguish over the circumstances surrounding her brother's death, emphasizing the family's determination to uncover the truth.
“My brother was very well; he had undergone medical checks shortly before and was healthy,” says Rosaria Torrisi. “He left behind a wife and a child, and us sisters and brothers with destroyed fathers. We want to know if he died at work and what happened to his organs. It all seems so absurd... We will not rest until we have the truth."
