Missing Italian Woman Artist Found Raped And Murdered In Turkey

Ankara, Turkey (AHN) - A missing Italian woman artist was found dead in Turkey while she was reportedly hitch-hiking in white wedding dress for peace, according to the local authorities on Saturday.

The 33-year-old Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo, known as Pippa Bacca, went missing for nearly two weeks, while she was on a tour promoting peace.

Di Marineo, who went missing since March 31, was reportedly traveling with a friend from her hometown of Milan to Jerusalem in wedding dresses as part of what they termed as "Brides on Tour" project.

But the two split near Istanbul, just before she went missing, and planned to reunite in Beirut. They both had left Milan on March 8 and hitchhiked to Turkey together.

Di Marineo's naked and decomposing body was found in bushes near the city of Gebze, which is located on the eastern edges of Istanbul, on Friday night, according to di Marineo's Web site.

Turkish police reported that they have arrested Murat Karatas in connection with the killing, who later confessed that he first raped and then killed her.

"Her travels were for an artistic performance and to give a message of peace and of trust, but not everyone deserves trust," another sister, Maria, told the Italian news agency, Ansa, according to BBC News report.

Di Marineo's project was meant to bring peace to the war-torn areas like Mediterranean and the Balkans as they dressed as brides and travel by hitch-hiking.

"That's the only dress we'll carry along -- with all stains accumulated during the journey," she wrote on her Web site, according to CNN.