Germany to extradite an Italian man suspected in the killing of a woman that outraged Italy

BERLIN (AP) — A German court on Wednesday ordered the extradition of an Italian man suspected in the killing of a 22-year-old woman that stirred outrage in Italy.

The Higher Regional Court in Naumburg, in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt announced the 21-year-old suspect’s extradition, according to German news agency dpa.

The suspect, Filippo Turetta, was arrested on the weekend near the eastern city of Leipzig and is currently in custody in Halle.

The court said Turetta agreed to the extradition. He will remain in custody until he is handed over to the Italian authorities. It was not immediately clear when the extradition would take place. Italy had requested his extradition on Tuesday, dpa reported.

Police in Germany over the weekend arrested Turetta, who had been on the run since Nov. 11, when he was last seen fighting with 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin, hitting her in a physical attack that was captured by roadside video cameras.

Cecchettin’s body, reportedly with multiple stab wounds, was found wrapped in plastic on Saturday in a ditch near Lake Barcis, in the province of Pordenone north of Venice.

Italian newspapers had been consumed with the search for them both, given multiple reports from friends and family that Turetta had refused to accept Cecchettin’s decision to end the relationship. Cecchettin’s sister, Elena, said she had been concerned about Turetta’s possessiveness of her sister but never imagined he could hurt her.

The fate of Cecchettin, who had been due to graduate university Thursday with a degree in engineering, had dominated news reports for a week and led to an outpouring of anger when her body was finally found.