Woman murdered, fed to pigs

A businesswoman who refused to sell her land to the Mafia in southern Italy was kidnapped, murdered and fed to pigs after her body was ground up in a threshing machine, an informant has told Italian investigators. Maria Chindamo, 44, the mother of three young children, disappeared five years ago from her home near Vibo Valentia in Calabria, the home turf of the ‘Ndrangheta Mafia. She had been in dispute with an alleged Mafia boss, who put pressure on her to sell him her land. She steadfastly refused and disappeared on the night of May 6, 2016. Her car was later found with traces of blood and strands of hair on the front seat. A suspect was arrested in 2019 in connection with her disappearance but was later released because of a lack of evidence. The investigation is ongoing.