Three arrested over murder of grandparents found 'battered to death' in their bedroom

Three arrested over murder of grandparents found 'battered to death' in their bedroom

 

Three men have been arrested over the murders of an elderly couple found dead in their home in Wolverhampton.

The bodies of Giuseppe Massaro, 80, and his 77-year-old wife Caterina, were discovered by their granddaughter on Friday evening.

Today police confirmed they made the three arrests in the early hours of this morning.

Murdered: The bodies of Giuseppe and Caterina Massaro were discovered by their granddaughter on Friday

Two of the men, aged 31 and 32, are from Wolverhampton while the third, aged 30, is from Birmingham. The three are currently being interviewed by detectives at separate stations in the West Midlands.

Post mortem examinations on Mr and Mrs Massaro will be carried out this afternoon.

Police say they are still appealing for witnesses to come forward with information.

Supt Mark Payne of Wolverhampton’s Local Policing Unit, said detectives want to discover what happened to the couple’s black Peugeot 307 car - which has since been recovered in nearby Wednesfield - in the days leading up to their deaths.

‘I am still appealing to anyone who may have seen this car or seen people coming or going from this address at Woden Road on Thursday or Friday,’ he said.

‘We want to hear from anybody who might have been offered a television or the car in Wolverhampton on Friday.

 

Clue: The couple's Peugeot 307 was stolen and later found abandoned half a mile away

‘Local people hold the key to finding who his responsible for this terrible tragedy. If you believe that you have any piece of information that may help our enquiries, I would ask you to call us as soon as possible.’

Grand-daughter Lindsey Booth, 22, who discovered the couple's bodies, told the Sunday Mercury it was clear they had been burgled.

She said she found both in their bedroom, her grandmother's body covered by a duvet.

'They were both still in their day clothes and I didn't see any blood or signs that there had been a struggle,' she said.

Crime scene: Police roped off the couple's home after their bodies were discovered

 Earlier the family of Mr and Mrs Massaro - who moved to the UK from Italy in 1960 - issued a statement describing their anguish.

‘Words cannot describe the devastation that has struck our family after discovering our beloved grandparents hurt by the hands of someone else,’ the statement said.

‘We cannot even begin to grasp the evil that took place in their home and how frightened they would have been.

‘An entire generation was taken away from us that day and we cannot comprehend how something could go this far. We only hope this devastation can save the lives of many other people by being aware that tragedy can strike at any time so all we can do is be more vigilant towards our neighbours and the entire community.

‘Their lives will be sadly missed and this has severely affected our family and a lot of our friends.’

Anyone with information that could assist the enquiry is asked to call Wolverhampton Force CID on 0345 113 5000 or independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111