Beasts of Satan: Italy’s Cult Murders

The Beasts of Satan emerged from Milan's late 1990s heavy metal scene as something far more sinister than rebellious teenagers. What began with music, black clothing, and typical adolescent rebellion evolved into ritualistic murder that would horrify Italy and captivate international attention.

At the core of this shocking case were three figures: unpredictable drug user Andrea Volpe, manipulative leader Nicola Sapone, and steady metal devotee Paolo  Leoni. Their circle was bound by more than music – they conducted blood oaths, animal sacrifices, and increasingly dangerous rituals to prove loyalty. When 16-year-old Fabio Tolles and 19-year-old Chiara Marino disappeared after leaving a popular metal club in January 1998, few suspected their supposed friends had lured them to an isolated field for ritual murder.

The breakthrough came six years later when another murder – that of Volpe's ex-girlfriend Mariangela Pezzotta – led to arrests and confessions revealing the group's horrific secrets.

The ensuing trials exposed how far the group had fallen: targeting Chiara as a "symbolic virgin," beating Fabio to death for trying to protect her, and even burying Mariangela alive in a greenhouse after a failed shooting attempt. The sentences were appropriately severe – life imprisonment for the ringleader and decades-long terms for the others, including 18-year-old Elisabetta Ballarin whose involvement particularly shocked the public.

But beyond the sensationalism lies the real story: a father's relentless six-year search for his son, four innocent lives destroyed, and the dangerous confluence of drugs, manipulation and the desperate need to belong. Listen now to understand how ordinary teenagers became killers, and why we should remember the victims' names rather than those who took their lives.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Transcriber's Name. Reviewer's Name ClueChill, the Place when we Follow the Paths Of Crimes and Mysteries that Leave Questions Behind. Cluechill, the Place when we Follow the Paths Of Crimes and Mysteries that Leave Questions Behind. Cluechill, the Place when we Follow the Paths Of Crimes and Mysteries that Leave Questions Behind. Welcome to ClueChill, the place where we follow the paths of crimes and mysteries that leave questions behind. Welcome to ClueChill, the place where we follow the paths of crimes and mysteries that leave questions behind. Today, we are going back to the late 1990s, to the quiet suburbs outside Milan, italy. Here, a small group of young people gathered around music parties and the promise of belonging To outsiders. They were just typical rebels they listened to heavy metal dressed in black, drank heavily and experimented with drugs. Their lives seemed to orbit around music venues, nightclubs and fields where they camped out for concerts. But beneath the rebel mask, something more troubling was they called themselves the Beasts of Satan, and between 1998 and 2004, this circle of friends carried out a string of murders that shocked Italy. Their crimes were brutal, ritualistic and wrapped in a mixture of loyalty, fear and belief. By the time investigators pieced the story together, four young people were dead, and their families spent years searching for the missing children. This is the story of the beasts of Satan.

Speaker 1: 2:22

Italy in the late 1990s was a country caught between tradition and modern life. The Catholic Church still held enormous influence, but younger generations were beginning to look elsewhere. Music, fashion and counterculture movements were giving them new ways to define themselves. For many teenagers, heavy metal and hard rock became the preferred music genre, and bands like Slayer, black Sabbath and Iron Maiden quickly turned into fan favourites. Iron Maiden quickly turned into fan favorites. To most, it was just shock value, a way to push against the rules of family and, at times, faith. At the same time, europe and North America were gripped by what became known as the Satanic Panic. Rumors of hidden cults, ritual sacrifices and demonic influence spread through the media. In Italy, those fears were mixed with other worries from rising drug use, youth unemployment and a sense of alienation. And whilst for most young people the occult was just a symbol, maybe something to wear on a t-shirt or scribble in a notebook, for a small few it became more serious. Small few, it became more serious. They began to see it as real, and that belief would lead to consequences far beyond any music preference or the sense of rebellion.

Speaker 1: 4:33

The Beasts of Satan were not a large group. They were a small circle built on friendship and drug use. The group was formed around three central figures Andrea Volpe, nicola Sapone and Paolo Ossi Leoni. Andrea Volpe had grown up in a fairly ordinary household but struggled to find direction. By his 20s, drugs had become a constant in his life. Friends remembered him as unpredictable. Sometimes he was lively and charming and other times reckless and destructive.

Speaker 1: 5:22

Nicola Sapone came from a more stable background. He carried himself with more confidence and what set him apart in particular was his ability to influence people. He could read others easily and within the group he became quickly a guiding force, a leader. He became quickly a guiding force, a leader. He was someone whose voice carried weight and whose opinions others rarely questioned. Lastly, paolo Oseileoni, as his nickname suggested, was devoted to heavy metal, especially Black Sabbath. His background was unremarkable, but his passion for the music gave him credibility amongst his peers. Unlike Volpe, who was unpredictable, or Sapone, who was controlling, leoni was steady. He gave the group a sense of stability and kept it tied to the music scene that defined them. Together, they formed the core of the Beasts of Satan. Others drifted in and out around them and on the surface, they looked like nothing more than a group of troubled young people with a passion for heavy metal, rebellion and drugs. But when they gathered, it wasn't only for the music. They spent time in open fields or in basements, drinking, using drugs and experimenting with rituals. These rituals often involved animal sacrifices or even ceremonies where they swore oaths in blood, reciting invocations linked to Satan. To outsiders, it might have looked like copying the music they listened to, but inside the group the rituals quickly became the way to show commitment and loyalty, and slowly the group pushed one step too far, to a place where at least four young people would lose their lives.

Speaker 1: 8:04

It was January 1998, and in the suburbs of Milan, the nights were usually filled with music. Young people gathered at small clubs and bars, places where heavy metal bands played late into the night. Where heavy metal bands played late into the night. One of the most popular venues was the Midnight Pub, a spot known for its music and its regular crowd of local teenagers. And amongst them there were two friends, fabio Tolles and Chiara Marino. Fabio was just 16, who spent much of his free time at the club. He was bright, easygoing and well-liked in the scene. Chiara 19, was described as curious, searching for belonging and fascinated by the group that called themselves the Beasts of Satan.

Speaker 1: 9:10

That night, fabio and Chiara met up with Andrea Volpe, nicola Sapone and Mario Macione. To outsiders, it looked like a normal gathering of friends drinking, smoking and talking about music. But something felt different that evening. After leaving the club, fabio and Chiara got into a car with Andrea Volpe, nicola Sappone and Mario Macione. They were told they were heading out to a nearby field to keep the night going. But the field was not for music or parties. It was an isolated, dark place, far away from the safety of the city lights.

Speaker 1: 10:03

What happened next was brutal. Fabio and Chiara were attacked, beaten and stabbed. Fabio fought back, trying to save his friend, but the group overwhelmed him. Chiara, who had been pulled into a circle and treated as part of a ritual, was killed alongside him. The murders were not widely recognized at first, with no bodies found. Police treated the case as a runaway. But the families knew Chiara and Fabio would not just simply disappear. They searched desperately, handing out flyers, making calls and pleading for information. For years their disappearance remained a mystery, while their families searched for them relentlessly and tragically. It would take more deaths before the truth of what happened finally came to light. It was January 2004.

Speaker 1: 11:36

By then the Beasts of Satan had been together for years. Some members have drifted away, but at the core remained the familiar trio away. But at the core remained the familiar trio Andrea Volpe, nicola Sapone and Paolo Lione. Mariangela Pezzotta was a former girlfriend of Volpe's. By that point she had stepped away from their relationship, but her ties to him and her knowledge of the group remained. Mariangela was 27, often described as caring and kind, but her time with Andrea Volpe had been tense, mainly from his drug use, his volatility and his deepening involvement in the group. Eventually, she had tried to distance herself from all of it. For Andrea and the others, that was seen as betrayal.

Speaker 1: 12:38

On the 9th of January 23rd, mariangela was invited, under the pretense of a dinner, to a chalet in Golaseca, a small town just outside Milan. She walked in unaware of what was about to happen. Inside she found her ex-boyfriend Andrea Volpe, and, unexpectedly, his new girlfriend, 18-year-old Elisabetta Ballarin. What followed was complete chaos. During a heated argument, andrea pulled out a revolver and shot Mariangela in the face. The wound was not immediately fatal. She was injured and cried out for help. Panicked, andrea called Nicola Sapone, the self-appointed group leader. When he arrived and realized Mariangela was still alive, he mocked Andrea for failing to finish what he had started, and together they tried to cover up the crime. Mariangela was struck repeatedly with a shovel before being buried in a greenhouse still alive. Afterwards, andrea and Elisabetta, under the influence of drugs, tried to dispose of Mariangela's car by pushing it into a river. Instead, they crashed it, and this accident was their downfall, as police arrived quickly at the scene and both were arrested. Quickly at the scene, and both were arrested, now in custody.

Speaker 1: 14:31

Andrea Volpe confessed to Mariangela's murder. Immediately and, to everyone's surprise, he admitted not only to this murder but also to the killings of Fabio Tolles and Chiara Marino six years earlier. Also, the investigation into Mariangela's murder also brought back questions about another death linked to the group, that of Andrea Bontade. Andrea had been a friend of Fabio Tolles and was considered part of the circle. And how was he connected to the group? Well, he helped dig the grave where Fabio and Chiara were later buried, but on the night of the killings he never showed up. So to the others, that absence was seen as betrayal. Others, that absence was seen as betrayal.

Speaker 1: 15:24

In the months after Fabio and Chiara's murder, friends and family noticed changes in him. His behaviour became erratic and his mind clouded. Later testimony suggested that members of the group had spiked his drinks with acid and other drugs, leaving him disoriented and struggling with everyday tasks. And one night in September 1998, after heavy drinking at the Midnight Pub, nicola Saponay reportedly pressed him with a final threat, handing him a small amount of money for petrol. Andrea is said to have told him either you do it or we do it. Hours later, andrea Bontade drove his car at more than 180 km per hour into a wall. There were no signs of breaking. He was killed instantly. More than 180 kilometers per hour into a wall. There were no signs of breaking. He was killed instantly. At that time it was recorded as a tragic accident. With Andrea Volpe in custody and his confessions on record.

Speaker 1: 16:44

The investigators finally began to see the true scope of the group's violence. For the first time, the closed walls around the beasts of Satan were beginning to break apart With the discovery of Chiara and Fabio's graves in 2004, the investigators were no longer dealing with rumors or speculation or just the case of a runaway couple. Now they had physical evidence of murder and confessions that tied all the crimes together. They immediately arrested Nicola Sopone and Paolo Leoni, but one of the most surprising names to emerge was that of teenager Elisabetta Ballarini. For many in Italy, her role in Mariangela's murder was one of the most disturbing parts of the case. Here was a young woman barely out of adolescence, implicated in a killing that felt both senseless and cruel. Unlike the others, elisabetta didn't come from a broken background. Didn't come from a broken background. She came from privilege, and while the public might have dismissed drug-fueled violence amongst the troubled young men, the idea of a girl from a respectable family being drawn into the same world was deeply shocking to them. No doubt, to many, it seemed to prove that no children were safe from the pool of drugs, rebellion and the so-called dark side.

Speaker 1: 18:37

The trials began in 2005 and quickly drew national attention. Across Italy, people followed every detail. Across Italy, people followed every detail not only because of the brutality of the crimes, but because of what the group seemed to represent Young people lost to drugs, alienation and rituals. In court, even more disturbing details came to light. It was revealed that Chiara Marino had been singled out because some members saw her as a symbolic virgin. Fabio Tolles, who tried to protect her, was beaten to death by the so-called friends he once trusted. Death by the so-called friends he once trusted. And even more chilling was the revelation that this was not the first attempt on their lives. The group had previously planned to kill them on New Year's Eve by setting a car on fire. This showed how deliberate and how callous their actions truly were.

Speaker 1: 19:50

Meanwhile, the media often focused on the group's links to Satanism, which fed into public fears about youth culture, heavy metal and the occult. The beasts of Satan became a symbol of how rebellion, mixed with drugs and pressure, could spiral into violence. But in the end, murder cannot be explained away by music or by someone's interest in a subculture. Millions of heavy metal fans never turned to violence or rituals. What set this group apart was not the music but their choices. They were killers, and the idea of ritual was just the excuse they used to justify their crimes.

Speaker 1: 20:40

Finally, the sentences handed down reflected the gravity of their crimes. Andrea Volpe was given 30 years in prison in 2005, which was later reduced because he cooperated with investigators. Nicola Sapone, seen as the ringleader, received life imprisonment. Paolo Leoni was sentenced to 26 years and later increased to life on appeal, and Elisabetta Ballarin, only 18 at the time of Mariangela's murder was sentenced to 24 years, later reduced slightly to 23. Other group members were also convicted. Marco Zampolo was found guilty of taking part in the murders through his involvement with the group activities and planning. He received 26 years in prison, later raised to nearly 29 on appeal. Eros Monteroso, convicted on similar grounds of aiding and participating in the killings, was given 24 years, later increased to more than 27. And Mario Macione, once considered Fabio's closest friend, confessed to striking him with a hammer during the 1998 killings. He was sentenced to 26 years.

Speaker 1: 22:12

This outcome marked the end of years of rumors and speculation. For the families it brought justice, but not closure. The loss of Chiara, fabio, mariangela and Andrea could never be undone. We have to mention that central to reaching this point was the persistence of Michel Tolles, fabio's father. From the night his son disappeared. He never believed the story that Fabio and Chiara had simply run away. For six years he gathered information, kept records of the group's activities and pressed the authorities to keep looking. His efforts alone became a vital thread in the investigation. It's a reminder that a parent's determination to find their child never ends.

Speaker 1: 23:18

The beasts of Satan are now remembered for their brutality, but first and foremost we must remember the young people whose lives were cut short Chiara Marino, fabio Tolles, mariangela Pezzotta and Andrea Bontade. Four young people who deserved to live, who deserved bright futures. Their names should not be lost in the shadow of those who killed them. Thank you for listening. If you would like more from ClueChannel, our Patreon members receive bonus episodes and early access to new releases, and if you enjoy the show, rating and reviewing us helps others discover it too. You can also follow us on social media to stay connected and continue the conversation. Until next time, stay curious and stay safe, thank you. ©. Transcript Emily Beynon. Thank you,