A Graduation Party Turns into Nightmare
A promising volleyball player and sports science student, Simona Cinà, 20, was found lifeless in the pool at around 4am. Simona had gone to attend a graduation party at a private villa. More than 90 guests had turned up to the event, which promised "rivers of alcohol." Simona went to attend the event with her volleyball teammates that day following practice, and video footage of the event shows her dancing by the DJ booth at 3:20 am.
Less than an hour later, a guest picking up plastic cups spotted her body in the shallow end of the pool with her face up and scratches on her chest. Paramedics tried to revive her with CPR, but by the time the ambulance arrived at 5 am, she had died. Her parents only found out about the incident when they tried to call her phone at 4.50 am. The phone was picked up by a guest, who told them to come to the villa, and she was dead at the time they reached the spot.
Witnesses said the pool was just two meters wide with a low water level, raising concerns over how Simona's condition went unnoticed for so long in such a confined area.
Inconsistencies and Suspicion Cloud the Investigation
At first, investigators from the Termini Imerese Prosecutor's Office in Sicily suspected it to be an accident or a sudden ailment. But multiple and conflicting accounts have raised concerns. When officers arrived at the scene, no alcohol bottles or cups were found—only clear plastic bags containing empty water bottles. Simona's lawyer, Gabriele Giambrone, believes the area may have been cleaned before the officers arrived at the villa.
The villa was not immediately confiscated, and the authorities were able to seize it only later. Blood stains were found, and a DNA test confirmed it to be of a man who claimed he injured himself upon hearing of Simona's death. Witnesses have also given conflicting accounts of the sequence of events. Several guests had left the party at the time authorities had arrived and those who were present were partially wet, suggesting that they were still in pool few minutes back
Simona's relatives say she could not have drowned, but simply drowned. "Her father, Luciano, recalled: 'She was like a fish in water.' They noted that she was perfectly healthy and an avid water sports enthusiast. The family continues to demand answers because the timeline and scene don't add up.
The Palermo prosecutor has requested an autopsy to understand if she had any medical condition or if she was possibly given drugs of some sort. Her mobile phone records, social media posts, and digital footprint are also being scrutinized by investigators.
Who was Simona Cina?
A native of Capaci, Simona Cinà was a promising volleyball player; she earned praise in athletics for her performances with ACDS Capacense before switching to beach volleyball. In a statement, her former club said she was someone people loved playing with, dedicated, and happy. Recently back from an Erasmus exchange in Spain, she had been studying sport science at the University of Palermo.
