Man Who 'Terrorized Rome' for Years Escapes Jail a 4th Time

Giuseppe Mastini has been convicted of multiple murders—and he just escaped from jail for the fourth time. Mastini, 60, who "terrorized Rome," per the Guardian, in the 1970s and 1980s, was on day release from a high-security Italian prison and failed to return at the appointed time Sunday. Mastini, who was sentenced to life behind bars in 1989, previously fled during day release in 2017, 2014, and 1987. Mastini killed a tram driver during a robbery gone wrong when he was 15, his first murder. He has since been convicted of more murders, plus other crimes including kidnapping, burglaries, and robberies.

Police unions are, not surprisingly, wondering why he's still being granted day release. "In 2014, after being awarded a day release permit, he showed he was responsible for irregularities and in 2017 he did exactly the same thing," the president of a police union told Italian media. "The legislation that enables people, who should clearly not be allowed to leave prison, to do so, must absolutely be changed." During his first escape, he was on the run for two years, and murdered a police officer during that time, RTE reports. A country-wide manhunt is underway. (More escaped criminal stories.)