She was the last person to see her friend alive 40 years ago, now police are finally asking why her story keeps changing

Laura Casagrande was a childhood friend of Emanuela Orlandi, a Vatican schoolgirl who vanished more than 40 years ago. Now, Roman police have placed the 57-year-old Casagrande under investigation. She allegedly lied to prosecutors about what happened right before Orlandi disappeared.

On June 22, 1983, the 15-year-old Orlandi disappeared after leaving a music class with Casagrande in central Rome. According to The Sun, Casagrande may have been the last person to see her, which makes her account extremely important to the case.

However, Casagrande’s story about that day has changed many times. Right after Orlandi vanished, she gave police two different versions of how Orlandi left the school. Last year, when she testified before a parliamentary commission, she changed her story again and claimed she couldn’t remember anything about that day at all.

Casagrande’s shifting memory raises serious doubts

Casagrande told the commission she had several nervous breakdowns in her life and blocked out traumatic memories to protect herself. She even said she and Orlandi “didn’t leave together” and insisted she would remember if they had. She pointed out that Orlandi was one of her closest friends at school.

Investigators and Orlandi’s family are frustrated with these memory gaps. Laura Sgrò, the lawyer for the Orlandi family, expressed doubt about Casagrande’s claims. She said Casagrande “made contradictory statements” and noted, “You can tell she is being reticent.”

Commissioner Roberto Morassut also questioned whether Casagrande truly couldn’t remember that day. He told her, “I don’t believe that you didn’t fix the day of Emanuela’s disappearance in your memory.” He argued the event was too important and too much a part of Italian history for someone to actually forget.

Other witnesses from the school have also been unreliable over the years. Some were traumatized by what happened, while others were intimidated. Raffaella Monzi, another student from the music school, said she was followed and threatened.

Mental health struggles following traumatic events are not uncommon, as seen in cases where family members feared deteriorating mental health. She was later admitted to a psychiatric clinic. Another classmate, Pierluigi Magnesio, called a crime show and said, “If I talk they will kill me.”

Sgrò said this climate of fear is shocking, especially after 42 years. She acknowledged these people faced “tremendous pressure” but hopes Casagrande will finally tell the truth. Orlandi’s disappearance has sparked countless theories since 1983 because her father worked for the Vatican. 

The case involves complex investigative challenges, similar to other cases with elaborate criminal schemes. The case got renewed attention after the 2022 Netflix documentary Vatican Girl, and both Italy and the Vatican reopened investigations. Orlandi’s brother Pietro has campaigned for answers for decades and urged Casagrande to come forward without fear.