Sports journalist Luca Esposito killed in Italy

Berlin, July 20, 2026—Italian authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of sports journalist Luca Esposito, whose charred body was found on a farm in southern Italy on Sunday, and determine whether his death was linked to his journalism, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.

Firefighters found 53-year-old Esposito’s charred body on July 19 while extinguishing a fire on farmland in Eboli, in the southern province of Salerno. Police found shell casings at the scene, and investigators believe Esposito was shot before his body was set on fire. The Salerno Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the case as a suspected homicide.

Investigators are examining both Esposito’s personal and professional contacts. Italian media reported that a connection to Esposito’s journalism was not the main line of inquiry, although investigators had not excluded this possibility.

“We are deeply shocked by the brutal killing of Italian sports journalist Luca Esposito,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Italian authorities must act quickly and transparently to establish the full circumstances and determine whether this terrible event is linked to Luca Esposito’s journalism.”

Esposito, whose legal first name was Luigi, was editor-in-chief of the local football news site ⁠TuttoSalernitana.com. He also contributed to the Salerno daily ⁠La Città di Salerno, appeared as a football commentator on ⁠Otto Channel, a regional TV channel, and wrote commentary for ⁠TuttoC.com, a news site covering Italy’s Serie C football league. 

CPJ emailed the Salerno Public Prosecutor’s Office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.