The Valais public prosecutor’s office decided not to perform an autopsy. The public prosecutor’s office in Rome is catching up on this work. The latest findings.
January 26, 2026, 06:48January 26, 2026, 06:48
Andreas Maurer / ch media
Emanuele Galeppini discovered his passion for golf as a child. He hit his first balls at the Rapallo Golf Club near Genoa, where he grew up with his family. His talent was noticed early on.
The 16-year-old made it into Italy’s national youth squad. He celebrated his successes on Instagram, but also dealt openly with defeats. A year ago he shared the results of a tournament in which he sank four balls in the water. He wrote that he now wanted to work hard for the next tournament. Emanuele was an optimist.
English professional golfer Nick Faldo, one of Europe’s best, described him as an “extremely talented young man with a bright future”.
Emanuele lived with his family in Dubai, where he attended an international Swiss private school. He regularly spent his holidays in Crans-Montana. There he appreciated the golf course where he had already competed in a renowned tournament.
On New Year’s Eve, Emanuele sent his last message to his family from the bar “Le Constellation” and wished them a happy new year. He would have turned 17 on January 21st.
Golf Association Published Obituary Before DNA Confirmation
A few hours after the fire broke out, it became known that Emanuele Galeppini was among the missing. The Italian Golf Association published an obituary on January 1st with a black and white picture and the words “Ciao Emanuele”. Hundreds of thousands saw the message – thousands responded with comments and symbols of mourning.
The Italian Golf Association shared this photo on social media.Image: x
But some users also expressed criticism of the association’s hasty communication. Official confirmation of the death was still pending at this point. Emanuele was initially considered missing at the time. The family still had hope and waited for the DNA analysis from the Swiss authorities. It was not until January 3rd that confirmation of the death finally arrived.
The family had a surprise in the mortuary. She braced herself for the sight of a burned, barely identifiable body. But Emanuele was only slightly injured on the outside and still had hair and eyebrows. He carried his undamaged cell phone and his wallet. Only his shoes were covered in ash. The family’s Italian lawyer confirmed this information to CH Media.
Wallis did not perform an autopsy – Rome took over
The relatives requested an autopsy. But the Valais public prosecutor’s office rejected this because the cause of death was clear. The parents were not satisfied with that. They wanted to know where and how their son died. They had a suspicion: Could it be that he died outside the bar? According to initial findings, 37 fatalities were found in the bar and three outside.
On January 5th, Italy brought its victims home with a state aircraft. At an airfield in Milan, men wearing white gloves carried wooden coffins from a huge military plane. Soldiers stood at attention and saluted. Relatives stood crying on the runway.
The coffins of the Italian victims were picked up by plane from Sion.Image: keystone
The public prosecutor’s office in Rome immediately opened its own proceedings for negligent homicide, grievous bodily harm and negligent arson. She ordered investigations that the Valais public prosecutor’s office had not considered necessary: autopsies on all six Italian victims.
The first forensic medical findings from Italy are now available. Accordingly, Emanuele died of smoke poisoning, as his lawyer confirmed at the request of CH Media. When the 16-year-old tried to escape from the restaurant, he was probably run over. This is indicated by abrasions and bruises. It is not yet clear whether he died inside or outside. Maybe someone carried him out of the bar when he was already dead.
The Roman public prosecutor’s office will now prepare an autopsy report and have laboratory tests carried out. These will analyze the toxic mixture of smoke gases. These Italian investigations could be important for the Swiss proceedings.
According to the current state of the investigation, spray candles on champagne bottles could have ignited the foam covering of the ceiling. The insulation material was highly flammable and did not comply with fire regulations. Did it also contain substances that caused particularly toxic fumes? Such a finding could place additional strain on bar operators.
However, if it turns out that the mass panic on the narrow staircase caused many deaths, the community’s lack of controls could come into focus.
Archbishop: “Now the judiciary must bring the truth to light”
The Rome public prosecutor’s office will now investigate the answers to the six Italian deaths. The results will be transmitted from Rome to Sion via international mutual legal assistance procedures. The Italian prosecutors are making up for the work Switzerland missed.
An autopsy is standard procedure after an unnatural death. But the Valais public prosecutor’s office also initially refrained from doing so in many Swiss cases. It was only at the urging of lawyers that she later decided to do so in some cases. Some funerals therefore had to be postponed. A disturbing process in the middle of the grieving process.
The funeral ceremonies for Emanuele Galeppini took place in the second week of January – the autopsy and a computer tomography did not take place until two weeks later.
The Archbishop of Genoa, Marco Tasca, spoke at the memorial service. He said: “Our first thought is for Emanuele, the end of his dreams and his life.” Then he thinks about his parents, his relatives, his friends and “all of us”. “We are all stunned.” Now the judiciary must do its job and bring the truth to light. (aargauerzeitung.ch)