Two years after computer repairman Peter Fasoli died in what investigators initially thought was a housefire, his nephew made a horrific discovery while researching his family tree on his uncle’s old computer: Fasoli had been tortured and murdered by a man he met on an online dating app, and the entire six-hour ordeal was caught on a laptop camera.
The Guardian reports that Christopher Murgatroyd was searching for information about his family tree on his dead uncle’s laptop two years after Fasoli died in January 2013 when he made a horrifying discovery: the 58-year-old computer repairman had inadvertently taken a video recording of his own protracted torture and murder.
The footage reportedly showed Fasoli’s horrifying torture and murder at the hands of a man he met on a dating app. The suspect, Jason Marshal, reportedly appeared at Fasoli’s home in a police officer uniform and the two engaged in sexual roleplay before the scene turned murderous.
According to the UK-based newspaper The Times, the suspect ate cake with the victim at Fasoli’s West London home before he killed him. The Guardian reports that a jury heard chilling details about the prolonged assault and murder: Marshall, 28, allegedly stripped Fasoli naked and accused him of being a spy before he held a knife to the victim, demanding his ATM pin code. He then allegedly drugged Fasoli to put him to sleep while he went out to steal his money, and muttered “suspect detained.”
He allegedly placed a plastic bag Fasoli’s head as the victim screamed that he couldn’t breathe.
Classical music from Richard Wagner and Felix Mendelssohn could be heard playing in the laptop video. As Fasoli lay dying on the floor, the suspect calmly lit a cigarette, then recited a Latin blessing for the departed after making the sign of the cross.
The video of Jason Marshall smothering Peter Fasoli with clingfilm as Wagner's Siegfried opera plays in the background is very hard to watch
— Tristan Kirk (@kirkkorner) July 31, 2017
Marshall then allegedly set a fire in the house, before taking cash from Fasoli’s accounts and using his credit card to buy a flight to Rome.
The Guardian reports that investigators initially believed Fasoli had died inhaling fumes in an accidental fire. A follow-up examination determined that Fasoli was still alive when the fire was set, and that one cause of death was asphyxiation.
Marshall has reportedly pleaded not guilty to murder.